3:53pm: The Rockies aren’t likely to trade Anderson or De La Rosa, reports Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
9:23am: The Yankees are looking at the second tier of starting pitchers rather than focusing on front-line arms, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney, and one player they’ve discussed is Rockies left-hander Brett Anderson (Twitter link).
The 26-year-old has been injury plagued over the last several seasons and has totaled just 33 1/3 frames this year, though the results have been favorable: a 3.24 ERA with a ground-ball percentage just north of 60 percent. Anderson’s 18-to-13 K/BB ratio in that same time isn’t as encouraging, of course.
Acquired from the A’s in an offseason deal that sent fellow hurlers Drew Pomeranz and Chris Jensen to the Rockies, Anderson is earning $8MM in 2014, $2MM of which is being paid by the A’s. His contract also contains a $12MM club option ($1.5MM buyout) for the 2015 season.
Anderson was once looked at as one of the game’s most promising young pitchers, but injuries have derailed some of that shine. He still sports a career ERA of 3.77 (with identical FIP and xFIP marks of 3.57) to go along with 7.0 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 55.3 percent ground-ball rate, but he’s totaled just 196 1/3 innings since Opening Day of 2011.
It remains to be seen, however, if the Rockies will be willing to move Anderson at all. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported this morning (Twitter link) that the Rockies don’t consider Anderson a trade candidate. The team is planning to pick up his $12MM option or sign him to a longer-term deal. It would seem that Anderson’s ground-ball arsenal is appealing to the Rockies, who play in the hitter-friendly Coors Field. Colorado has shown an unwillingness to move any of its starting pitchers, as reports have indicated that they’re unlikely to move Jorge De La Rosa as well, despite his status as an impending free agent.
Brett Annderson has not thrown a notable amount of innings in half a decade. Why you would consider that hard to get and would want to pick up his 12mil option is a little head scratching. Yah he is a good pitcher theoritically for Coors, but he is the definition of injury prone.
My goodness….what are the guys in the Yankees FO thinking? Does “injury plagued” mean anything to you guys????
They’re doing pretty well with their two pickups so far – Headley and McCarthy – both guys with injury problems over their careers. Also, keep in mind that Anderson is still only 26; it would be more of a concern if he were 36 with the same recent injury problems.
Chase Headley has never had injury problems hes had problems producing consistently. Also McCarthy has pitched a grand total of 24.2 inning for NYY and Headley has all of 32 PA, I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions yet.
Agreed.
That’s why he specifically wrote “so far”
someone needs to make a welcome map for that!
Headley was playing most of *this year* injured, actually. He had an epidural at the end of June to deal with his back pain. And even being exactly the same player as before, Yankee is a much easier stadium to hit in than Petco. And yes, I did note that they’re doing well so far. I’m not saying those guys are going to continue producing but at the same time, they were shrewd moves for undervalued players and both represent significant upgrades over what the team had prior.
Picking up Anderson’s option is the equivalent of paying a reliever 12 MM a year. For his career Anderson has average only 80 IP per season and for the last 3 seasons he has average merely 53 IP.
Cashman should be the GM for a small market team. Scrap heap and value investing at its finest.
Yes because under performing pitchers making 10+ MM a year are exactly what small market GM target….
For a low cost I’d take him
Well, McCarthy has been pretty good so far and Capuano wasn’t terrible the other day so…
Weren’t Pomeranz and Nelson sent to the A’s, not the Rockies?
The Rockies don’t seem interested in moving him, but then that’s the kind of thing teams say during trade talks. The Yankees have a lot of young catchers in the minors and Colorado might want to improve at that position. I would be interested to know what kind of injuries he has suffered. I think the recent one is a finger injury, which sounds like he got hit with the ball or hurt while on base, but if he has been having arm problems the Yankees should probably pass.
I am more in favor of this than giving up Judge/Severino type prospects for a bigger name pitcher.
Pretty sure Pomeranz and Jensen went to the A’s, not back to the Rockies…
You better put him in bubble-wrap every time you insert him into a game. I’ve NEVER seen an athlete as brittle as this guy. As an A’s fan, he would tease you, then twist his ankle, tweak his back, you name it! Trust me, you don’t want him…
Is he old enough for the Yankees?
Brett Anderson is Rich Harden 2.0