Who could be the 8th inning guy in 2010 (provided Valverde comes back. Or doesn't.)? Let's ask Alyson Footer:
Ed Wade:
Wade rattled off four names who could possibly act as setup men in '10: Alberto Arias, Jeff Fulchino, Chris Sampson, LaTroy Hawkins.
So with the non-tender deadline coming up on Dec 12, that's good news for Sampson.
Regarding the bench, Wade will try to fortify it "sooner" rather than later.