The Tampa Bay Rays join the Yankees in going to the Super Wrist Decoder:

The Rays’ wristbands are primarily a response to a rule change limiting mound visits to six per game, a shift that makes the already complicated task of relaying pitch calls all the more challenging. Catchers can be barred from going to the mound if a team has exhausted its allotment, and they’re not thrilled with the change — Martin Maldonado (Angels) and Willson Contreras (Cubs) have said they’d rather pay fines than limit their visits.

Teams use intricate sets of signs to disguise pitch selection when a potentially nosey baserunner is on second base, and not every pitcher employs the same systems. The Rays used 30 pitchers last season, and each of them had at least two sets of signs for use with runners on base. There’s some overlap, but it’s still a lot for catchers to memorize — a major impetus for all the mound visits.

“I know there’s a lot of pride that catchers take in their game-calling abilities,” said Cash. “We’re not looking to take that away from our two guys because we feel they both do a good job retaining information before a series. But nice little quick reminders don’t hurt anybody.”

This takes on even more importance for the Rays as they go to a four-man rotation:

Tampa Bay could use even more pitchers this year thanks to a strategy shift with starting pitchers. The team plans to use a four-man rotation while relying on the bullpen to cover games that would have gone to a fifth starter. That means the Rays will intentionally use six or seven pitchers in some games.

“It’s kind of hard to go inning to inning to inning with a different guy,” Sucre said. “You have to work hard.”

One big change over the last 30 years is that teams are willing to try out new strategies. They’ve experimented with the pitcher batting eighth, with a slugger batting second, with innovative shifts, and now with limiting pitcher exposure in games. Thirty years ago, conventional wisdom would have dismissed all those attempts at innovation.