[Pelican]

As a Phillies fan, I see this through the lens of Ranger Suarez and Zach Eflin. Two starters who excelled in relief roles. So, yeah, it can happen IRL. Guys who can be used to close, or to hurl two or three innings in relief. Like that.

In OOTP, I have had some success, across multiple eras BTW, using “failed” starters in relief. They usually do not become closers. But they can be what the game calls “stoppers” in late innings. More conventionally, they are great middle relief guys who can throw multiple pitches across two or three innings and keep your team in games. I think of those guys as potentially having impeccable win/loss records, because they come in when the team is behind, thus can’t get charged with the loss, and, if the team rallies, they get the win.