Feb. 25, 2007

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Over the course of earning a business administration degree at Furman, Tom Mastny learned quite a bit about the value of adjusting a plan to more quickly get to an intended goal. He put those lessons to the test early in the '06 season, when the Indians gave him the option of either pitching in the Double-A Akron rotation or working out of the bullpen.

Mastny knew the notoriety (to say nothing of the paychecks) that comes with being a bona fide big-league starter. But he also knew the timetable for advancement is a slow one.

Bullpens, he reasoned, are volatile. They are constantly evolving and changing, and an opportunity could spring up at a moment's notice.

Mastny, therefore, remained a reliever, and it was a decision that paid off just a few months later, when he found himself suddenly and surprisingly closing games for the Tribe.

"The movement in this organization is in the bullpen," he said. "I love that."

Alas, the fluctuating nature of relief work has led to Mastny's current predicament. The signings of veterans Joe Borowski, Aaron Fultz and Roberto Hernandez make him a long-shot to make the Opening Day roster, as he is among the Indians' young relief prospects pushed back a bit by the roster turnover.

But the 25-year-old Mastny is unfazed by a potential return to Triple-A Buffalo.

"You just have to wait your turn," he said. "I'm not too concerned about being [in the big leagues] at the start of the year. I want to be there at the end."

Mastny was there at the end of last year, getting the call to the bigs on July 24 and converting his first five save opportunities. Major League batters caught up with him after those saves, though, as his ERA ballooned from 0.79 on Sept. 1 to 5.51 at season's end.

"Unfortunately, I ran into a little trouble at the end of the year," he said. "But that's the league right there. They make adjustments pretty quickly. But I think I opened up some eyes. From what I hear, [the Indians] seem to like me. But again, it's just a waiting game."

While he waits for that next call to the Majors, Mastny is working on getting better command of breaking pitches and maintaining his poise on the mound.

"I ran into problems last year where the game was a little faster," he said. "Your emotions are going a little more. I have to try to slow myself down and just pitch."