Joel Hanrahan has saved 76 games with a 2.24 ERA for the Pirates over the past two seasons, but his name has surfaced in numerous trade rumors this offseason and now Danny Knobler of CBS Sports tweets that the Buccos are pushing to trade him (Twitter link). The Dodgers are one possibility, according to Knobler.
Hanrahan projects to earn $6.9MM through arbitration, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. The 31-year-old is arbitration-eligible for the final time and will be a free agent following the 2013 campaign.
Hanrahan's production slipped in 2012, mainly due to a sharp increase in walks. He issued 36 free passes in 59 2/3 innings after allowing just 16 in 68 2/3 innings during the 2011 season. Hanrahan's fastball velocity also dipped from 2011, though he still averaged a very strong 95.9 mph. Teams have expressed concerns about his conditioning.
