Orioles relievers Tim Byrdak and Chris Ray were in the minor leagues when the season started, and Jason Grimsley was at home in Kansas, recuperating from elbow ligament-reconstruction surgery.
Wayne Franklin, Scott Proctor and Jason Anderson weren't in the New York Yankees' immediate plans, and Curt Schilling was rehabbing his ankle in hopes of returning as the Boston Red Sox's ace, not a closer.
But after three months filled with enough bullpen meltdowns to prevent any of the three teams from gaining much separation in the American League East, all of the above are likely to play major roles in sorting out the division standings in the coming weeks.
That much was expected from Schilling, but not in the capacity in which Red Sox manager Terry Francona will use him once the right-hander is deemed healthy and sharp enough to face major league hitters.
The Red Sox announced this week that their ace will join the bullpen, likely after next week's All-Star break, and could close games, along with former Oriole Mike Timlin, until Schilling is ready for a return to the starting rotation.
The move was made not just to ease in Schilling, who has made only three starts this season after ankle surgery and has made just one relief appearance since 1992, but also to bolster a bullpen with a 5.54 ERA, second worst in the American League. With struggling closer Keith Foulke (knee) on the disabled list and probably unavailable for at least six weeks, Francona didn't have many options.
"When he volunteers to go to the bullpen all of a sudden, you start looking at it and you say, `You know what, we can turn a negative with Foulke getting hurt into maybe a positive by adding a pitcher of his caliber to the bullpen,' " Francona said. "We don't have the leeway to lose, so you do the best you can and try to find a way to win."
The Yankees, whose relievers had accounted for a 4.04 ERA, sixth worst in the American League entering last night, had already begun the overhaul of their bullpen. Casualties of their recent organizational meetings, veteran relievers Mike Stanton (7.07 ERA) and Paul Quantrill (6.75 ERA) were designated for assignment, and Quantrill has since been traded.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wanted to get younger in the bullpen, so in came Anderson, 26, and Proctor, 28, who have 31 and 32 appearances, respectively, on their major league resumes.
