21.   Garagiola also cited the recent signings of left-handed middle reliever Greg Swindell and first baseman Greg Colbrunn and the trade for young outfielder Dante Powell as reasons for improvement.

22.   Giants do not have good middle relievers.

23.   He became a middle reliever with the Astros, hardly reaching his potential.

24.   Having four starters who routinely go seven innings will reduce the responsibilities on the middle relievers.

25.   His best shot is to make the team as a middle reliever, but the competition is stiff.

26.   His role in Texas was mopup duty, but with the Sox, he has been a middle reliever and occasional setup man for Slocumb or Stan Belinda.

27.   However, those middle relievers still must hold a lead for the closer -- which is becoming more and more difficult in these days of skyrocketing earned run averages.

28.   His role, then, was as starter and middle reliever, a duality made easier by eight Dodgers runs through the fifth inning.

29.   Identifying a suitable right-handed middle reliever is a far more complex question.

30.   If the Mets trade for still another reliever, something they have talked about, it could be for a left-handed middle reliever.