In first place was Reynaldo Lopez, a 30-year-old right-hander with the Atlanta Braves who began the season with a 0.50 ERA through his first three starts, though he spent the last two seasons as a one-inning relief pitcher. Another reliever turned into a starter, Hicks said with a smirk.
My goal isn't to see my name on any list, he said. I want to do what I know I'm capable of.
But there's a simple formula here: relievers who aren't collecting saves aren't getting paid, at least not nearly as well as their peers handling the ninth inning, and not even close to as well as those starting the game.
Hicks' contract wasn't a surprise in itself, but then came the kicker: the night he signed with the Giants, ESPN reported that Hicks would not be joining the Giants' bullpen, but rather their starting rotation in a role he's held only once, briefly, in five big league seasons.
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