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I have asked this same thing. In an era of 4 man benches, when one of those 4 spots is back-up catcher, what is the penalty of having to be platooned?
Ideally wouldn't you want a bench with both a solid left handed and right handed bat, plus a good pinch-runner, and a defense specialist for the infield and the outfield. 3 spots.
That doesn't even count the moderate aches and sprains and illnesses that cause players to miss days without needing a stint on the DL. To me, it's the reason why you can't afford a guy who isn't available to play everyday, nor can you afford to ossify your roster with one dimensional players.
Personally, I greatly dislike the platoon, I think it's probably a 2-3 WAR reduction over a comparable everyday player when you consider things like later inning bullpen adjustments and the bench ramifications.
But would love to know if anyone has really studied it.
- Ben.