Rivera’s former setup man, Kyle Farnsworth, is yet another example of how quickly the fortunes of relievers can change virtually overnight. As yet another of the Rays Reclamation Projects in the bullpen, Farnsworth far exceeded anything he managed to put together over a full season in his first season as a member of the Rays, going 5-1 with a 2.18 ERA and 25 saves. Improbably, the Rays managed to turn someone that was typically the equivalent of pouring petrol on a fire into a legitimate closer.

However, Farnsworth could not continue his success. After getting hurt at the end of 2011, he got injured again towards the end of Spring Training the following year, appearing in his first game on June 30th. He struggled through the season, finishing 1-6 with an ERA of 4.00, and was not guaranteed to come back this year. However, the Rays resigned him, and Farnsworth has responded with his worst season to date.

At this point, Farnsworth simply cannot be trusted to enter a close game. Nor can he be trusted to enter a game with runners on base. This season, he has allowed six of the twelve inherited runners he has had to score. In the seventh inning, Farnsworth has 7.36 ERA, with the opposition producing a 1.104 OPS against him. As bad as those number have been, he has been even worse in the eighth inning, with a 24.00(!) ERA and a 1.752 OPS. These numbers not only say that Farnsworth likely should not be used in any type of close game, but that he likely should not be used except in extreme cases, such as a ten-run blowout or his being the last pitcher available in a 20 inning game.

Yet, to have a pitcher specifically for those roles, who may not see the field for weeks at a time, is an utter waste of a roster spot. But what other option is there for Farnsworth? Can he really be used at any other point right now? Unfortunately, he has not proven that he can be trusted in any other situation.

When David Price and Brandon Gomes come back, and with younger options for the bullpen, the Rays are going to need to make some decisions in their relief corps. With the way Farnsworth has been pitching, he may find himself as one of those pitchers let go. At age 37, and in the midst of his worst year as a major leaguer, this may mark the end of the line for Kyle Farnsworth.

Instead, Alex Torres got the call, and is in Tampa for the time being. He has already made a relief appearance, getting Jacoby Ellsbury to ground out in a five pitch at bat. This appearance was a bit surprising, as Torres was thought to be called up to replace Price in the rotation, not to pitch in relief. Perhaps this was the day he normally would have been getting his side work in, and the Rays figured to have him pitch instead, but it does seem a bit curious.

If Torres is heading to the bullpen, where he may actually be a better fit, then what is the next step for the rotation? And why bring up Torres for the bullpen if another reliever is not being sent down to create room? There could be a couple of reasons for that.

First, the bullpen has issues. A strength of the Rays since the team began contending in 2008, the Rays relievers rank last in the American League in ERA at 4.78. Last night was a microcosm of the year, as Kyle Farnsworth entered a 12-7 game with a runner on first, faced three batters and gave up two runs, leaving without recording an out. Joel Peralta and Jamey Wright, for the most part, have been the only two relievers that have engendered any feeling of comfort when entering the game thus far. Josh Lueke has been good since getting recalled, but the Rays still need to improve the performance of their bullpen.

Second, both Archer and Odorizzi have had their struggles in Durham. Archer is 4-2, but has an ERA of 4.38, and has walked 19 batters in 39 innings. His WHiP stands at 1.56, as he has struggled to get people out. Odorizzi is pitching better, with a 4-0 record and a 3.83 ERA, but has struggled at times recently. It could be that the Rays are waiting for Archer or Odorizzi to have a good start, so as to head to Tampa feeling good about their performance.

It could also be as simple as the Rays not wanting to call up either just to send them back down when Price comes back. Perhaps they feel that when either, or both, pitchers come back to Tampa, it will be to stay and to hopefully be fixtures in the rotation. With these thoughts in mind, it appears as though Torres may be nothing more than a stopgap measure for the time being, possibly taking a couple of starts until Price is ready, then being sent back to Durham.

Even though Alex Torres was brought up when Price went on the disabled list, he is not likely to remain in the rotation. He simply fills a need that the Rays have at the moment, as they wait for Archer or Odorizzi to prove that they are ready for the majors.

Yet, his offense is not what keeps him in the lineup. He is known around baseball as one of the better defensive catchers in the game, and has become known for his ability to frame pitches. In fact, it was that pitch framing ability that led the Rays to sign him to a two year contract when Molina was a free agent, giving him his second chance to be a starting catcher, and first since 2008.

Now, other teams have started to realize the value to a catcher who can frame pitches with the ability that Molina does. In an article by Ben Lindbergh, he feels that those who are truly skilled at getting their pitchers additional strikes may become more sought after than ever. Recently, other teams have caught on to the notion that a catcher who has a knack for turning pitches that would have otherwise been balls into strikes is a valuable commodity. This approach is not just limited to smaller market teams such as the Rays; part of the reason why the Yankees gave Francisco Cervelli the starting job at catcher was his ability to frame pitches.

In a time of pitch counts and a general fear of pitchers injuring themselves through overuse, the ability to steal a couple of strikes over the course of the game may go a long way. That pitch could become a strikeout, or lead to an out on a pitch that the batter may not have swung at if the count had been different. Each extra out can add up, and help to decrease the workload on the bullpen, making them fresher later in the season.

That is where a catcher such as Molina truly stands out. By stealing outs, he helps an already excellent Rays pitching staff be that much better. Over the course of the past five years, he has been worth just over two extra wins a year just from framing pitches, which can be a major difference in a division as competitive as the American League East.

While it would be nice to see some offensive production from Jose Molina, his ability to win games by getting calls helps to mitigate his subpar hitting. For the Rays, that ability to frame pitches may be enough.