The Pirates have won their arbitration hearing against left-hander Tony Watson, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (via Twitter). As can be seen in MLBTR’s 2017 Arbitration Tracker, Watson had filed for a $6MM salary, while the Pirates filed at $5.6MM. He’ll receive the lesser of those two sums, which comes in about $300K shy of the projection from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Even with the loss, Watson still receives a healthy raise from last year’s $3.45MM salary.
The 31-year-old Watson stepped into the closer’s gig in Pittsburgh following the trade of Mark Melancon last summer and is the early favorite to reprise that role in 2017. He’s coming off a season in which he saved 15 games and logged a 3.06 ERA with 7.7 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in 67 2/3 innings out of manager Clint Hurdle’s bullpen.
Watson didn’t debut in the Majors until his age-26 season, but he quickly established himself as a quality bullpen arm. Since that time, he’s somewhat quietly emerged as one of the more successful setup men in the National League, pitching to an outstanding 2.22 ERA over the life of 292 innings in the past four seasons. Since the 2013 season, no reliever in Major League Baseball has thrown more regular-season innings than Watson’s 292, and no one has topped his 120 holds, either.
One more strong showing for Watson this coming season would be of particular importance for the southpaw, as he’s slated to hit free agency next winter. A strong performance could also make Watson a midseason trade candidate whether the Pirates contend or not, as was the case with Melancon a year ago. Pittsburgh assuredly won’t make a qualifying offer to Watson following the 2017 campaign, so moving him prior to this summer’s non-waiver trade deadline would be their only means of receiving some form of compensation for Watson’s potential departure.
The left-hander was reportedly available this offseason and had his name surface in trade rumors at times. A move this close to the season seems decidedly unlikely, though the Bucs reportedly aren’t completely closed off to the notion of moving veterans this spring.
You wrote his era as 3. “o”6 instead of 3.06
You da real MVP.
I loved the Melancon trade and I hope Tony pitches well enough to get a similar return.
I don’t buy into the “anybody can close” mentality, but enough can do it that you can keep handing the ball to different guys until you find the ones who can.
It creates assets and fills the need without expending assets.
Also liked the Melancon trade. Watson scared me as a closer. Still does. But he can close a few months and if we aren’t in it, he can hopefully garner a solid return. Watson has the propensity to get hit around if he’s not mowing them down from out of the pen. I like our bullpen this year so far. If Jared Hughes can return to form, we will be really solid.
Yeah! !!!
The pirates won over 400k, now they can sign that 5th starter they desperately need with 400k they won in the hearing.
Honestly this being news is incredibly stupid. This is hands down the biggest waste of time going to arbitration over a 400k. All this does is prove people like me right when I say our ownership are sickeningly cheap and ownership can care less about winning anything. Except apparently winning more money for their own pocket.
If you win $400,000 four or five times, that can add up to a couple million dollars, which in turn can finance a lot more in the international or draft markets, even if it’s not much in terms of free agents. The success rate of 30-something free agents is so low that I’m not concerned with investing more in young talent.
With the number of AAA starters knocking on the door, it doesn’t really make sense for the Pirates to add any starters. It’s past time to see what they can do. Where else do they have to address? The bullpen seems better than anyone in the division. They have their starters and bench pretty much set.
Yet, continues to damage relationships between players and ownership. Not worth 400k.
It’s standard procedure for every team in the league. It has nothing to do with Mark’s “Nutting’s Wallet” narrative. Sorry.
mlbtraderumors.com/2015/02/inside-arbitration-the-…
Everything that involves money involves ownerships pocket. Show me where they spend?