have a deep bench

1. sports To have a large number of skilled players on the team who are available to play. Their star player may be injured, but they still have a deep bench they can turn to while she recovers. A: "Thank goodness they have a deep bench—it really bailed them out last night." B: "I know, but they can't afford to have their stars sidelined with penalties like that on a regular basis." What are we going to do if our shortstop has a torn ACL? We don't have a deep bench like we used to.

2. By extension, to have a large team of very skilled people at a group's or company's disposal. Our law firm has a deep bench, so no matter your case, you can rest assured that the best attorneys in the country will be working on your behalf. The cancer center has been named the region's top medical facility five years in a row because it has such a deep bench of renowned physicians. Because our department has a deep bench, we have many qualified internal candidates for the promotion.