The Marlins have agreed to a minor league pact with veteran southpaw Craig Breslow, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford reports. He would earn $1.5MM if he can crack the MLB roster.
Though he had kicked around the idea of seeking a starting opportunity, Breslow will reportedly chase a pen slot in Miami. He also considered offers from the Cubs, Blue Jays, and Red Sox.
Working for Boston last year, the 35-year-old carried a 4.15 ERA over 65 frames with 6.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9. While the results were improved after a tough 2014, Breslow wasn’t able to show quite the same form that led to a 2.82 earned run mark over his first 402 MLB frames over the span of 2005 to 2013.
The veteran’s groundball rate is down and his home run susceptibility is up, and it’s reflected in advanced metrics, which do not put a positive spin on his past two seasons. While he has long outpaced ERA estimators, and did so again in 2015, they are increasingly sour on his work (5.27 FIP, 5.07 xFIP, and 4.51 SIERA last year).
On the other hand, Breslow still pitches with about the same fastball velocity (he averaged 90.0 mph with his four-seamer last year) as he always has. And he boosted his swinging strike rate into double digits for the first time since 2012. He ought to have every opportunity to earn a job this spring in a Miami pen that was in need of options behind top southpaw Mike Dunn.
So the Red Sox made an offer? I know Bres is a well liked, intelligent, great clubhouse guy, but thank God the Marlins made a better offer.
Nice job Craig. Graduated the year before I did from Trumbull High. Was hoping the mets would take a flyer but I guess they didn’t know about dumb mejia
The Marlins need someone that can get lefties out, so they naturally go and get the lefty that doesn’t get lefties out. As a Red Sox fan as well, I know that we’ll enough
I’m a big Marlins fan so I am very happy
i know it’s a minor league deal, but i don’t understand why they picked him up. they already have too many question marks with lefty relievers