middle relievers aren't very good

during the sox pregame show the other day they were talking about how daniel bard could have made the all star team.  i read an NYC blog yesterday that mentioned david robertson has great numbers as the yankees set up man, and that he should have been selected.  i disagree.  no middle reliever should ever make the all star game.  that would be like a guy who comes off the bench in the NBA being an all star (i know there are rare examples like kevin mcchale, and maybe bard really is that good, but the principle is sound).  good pitchers are turned into starters.  every once in a while they become closers.  everybody left over ends up as middle relievers.  it blows my mind when teams spend lots of money on non closer bullpen help.  or like a few years ago when the red sox traded coco crisp for ramon ramirez, i never understood why.  bullpen guys are a crap shoot.  sometimes they're good and sometimes they're not.  they may have one solid year, and be terrible the next.  i think whatever prospect you have who's next in line at AAA is generally just as good.  and for anybody who doesn't recognize him, on the right that's rich "el guapo" garces, the ultimate middle reliever.