This is the latest installment in our Market Snapshot series. We have now completed our run-down of position players, so we’ll turn to the pitching staff — beginning with left-handed relievers.
Teams In Need
There figures to be plenty of demand for lefty relief help. The Astros, Cubs, Mariners, Mets, Phillies, Red Sox, Rockies, and Yankees each could clearly stand to improve in that area. The Braves, Cardinals, and Nationals have some options but could be intrigued by the possibility of adding a high-quality set-up southpaw. You could perhaps argue the same for the Dodgers, though they have quite a volume of possibilities in house. Numerous clubs other could stand to add additional lefties, including the Angels, Pirates, and Twins, but don’t seem quite as likely to spend big money to do so.
Free Agents
High-leverage arms: Zach Britton and Andrew Miller are the big names here, though both have had plenty of injury questions and neither was in top form in 2018. The former is more youthful (30) and still racks up ridiculous numbers of groundballs, though his combination of 7.5 K/9 and 4.7 BB/9 hardly inspired and his sinker velo is down. Miller, 33, still gets the K’s (11.9 per nine) but has seen his swinging-strike rate move southward (13.2%) along with his own average fastball speed (93.6).
Middle relievers: Justin Wilson still can’t find his command, allowing 5.43 walks per nine for the second-straight campaign, but he’s also still hard to square up. Tony Sipp got as many good bounces in 2018 as he did bad bounces in the season prior. All told, he showed quite well but is already 35 years of age. Oliver Perez, who is two years Sipp’s senior, had an even more stunning bounceback campaign that featured a career-high 14.2% swinging-strike rate. Zach Duke, Jake Diekman, and Aaron Loup all underperformed their peripherals and seem likely to draw interest. It was the opposite situation for Jorge De La Rosa, though he still figures to land somewhere after a useful campaign. Speaking of potential converted starters, Jaime Garcia struggled badly in the rotation but produced a 3.54 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .181/.280/.278 batting line in 20 1/3 innings as a reliever. Jerry Blevins had a poor platform season, but he’s a bounceback candidate.
Depth: Tim Collins, Danny Coulombe, Boone Logan, Tyler Lyons, Tommy Milone, Hector Santiago
Trade Candidates
High-leverage arms: If the Giants decide to cash in some assets, Will Smith and Tony Watson look to be highly appealing pieces after both turned in excellent 2018 efforts. The Twins could perhaps consider selling high on Taylor Rogers if there’s an opportunity to get value on this market, though they have good reason to stand pat as well. He has plenty of value to the Rays, but Jose Alvarado could draw big offers after an eye-opening sophomore campaign.
Middle relievers: Richard Bleier could be a fascinating chip for the O’s, but he’ll first need to recover from a serious lat injury. Andrew Chafin and T.J. McFarland will draw interest if the Diamondbacks decide to throw in the towel on 2019. Rangers groundball/command artist Alex Claudio could hold some appeal despite a down 2018 showing in the results department. Marlins southpaw Adam Conley showed some spark at times in a relief role.
A variety of potentially useful pitchers could come available from contenders, either via trade or free agency, if those clubs decide they don’t really want to commit a roster spot and pay them what they’ll likely command in arbitration. Vidal Nuno (Rays), Sam Freeman & Jonny Venters (Braves), Xavier Cedeno & Dan Jennings (Brewers), Sammy Solis (Nationals), Luis Avilan & Adam Morgan (Phillies), and Chris Rusin (Rockies) are all possibilities. It’ll be interesting to see what the Dodgers decide to do with Tony Cingrani, who missed a lot of time and carried a 4.76 ERA but also sported an impressive combination of 14.3 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9. (The smart money is probably on him being tendered and kept in Los Angeles.)
Idiotic to think Giants will trade Watson or Smith.
Why? With a new GM, they may very well commit to a rebuild. It wouldn’t make sense to hang onto either if that’s the case, as seen above the market is extremely thin and they could get a serious haul.
Lol you think that a new GM will change anything? Baer and Sabean are still there. They will not allow a GM to start selling the entire team without their approval first, and there’s no way they approve of the giants rebuilding. They will spend all their money again this offseason and hope to luck out on a wild card once again.
I didn’t say I think they will. But thanks for your thoughts.
It is silly to think there’s no possibility of it. The org, particularly with a new GM in place, will need to look hard at everything and find ways to infuse young talent. The possibility of moving short-term relief assets to do that won’t be dismissed out of hand.
I agree with you. There’s certainly a possibility that the Giants might want to rebuild. They have a lot of money tied into a lot of unproductive players. The only real stars with on-field value would be Posey and Bum. The rest have turned in meh performances. They might need to sell off what they can to try and rebuild the farm. Makes sense.
A primary objective for the new GM should be focusing on teams who have a need at SS and resolving to move Crawford by January. Nostalgia and fan adoration aside, Crawford had only one legit hot streak in 2018, and there were no injury issues to blame that on this time. Belt should also be traded, but with his contract there will be no market whatsoever, so SF will probably just ride it out until expiration.
Slim pick’ns considering the health/age of Britton and/or Miller.
Am curious, along these lines then, to see what the potential value of and return for Bleier could be on the market.
Another one recovering from an injury. Hopefully Boston has learned from trading for another’s reliever. Not sure where you then go but DD has overpaid in his past trade searches.
I would take a chance on Britton but Miller worries me a bit
If the White Sox take advantage of a deep market they could get guys like Blevins and Diekman for discounts and hope to flip them for something at the deadline.
You’re obviously a video game GM. Sign them and pray then trade for something, anything. Smart move during a rebuild
That’s actually a brilliant plan. Sign a free agent that might need to rebuild their value on a 1 or 2 year deal and if you’re not contending in July then you trade them for prospects. If you can get a Josh Donaldson on a 1/$15 mil contract he might take it because it’s a high guarantee and he can attempt to rebuild his value and re-enter FA after the season. If he’s having a good year then he would be a valuable bat at trade deadline and you could probably get a top 50-100 prospect in return from a contender with a healthy farm.
What?? This happens all the time. This isn’t from a video game, this happens all the damn time. Have you paid any kind of attention to any of the rebuilds lately? Teams sign guys they can get a discount on to fill a hole on the team, eat innings, etc, and prolong a prospects service time, then trade the guy they signed at the deadline, and bring up the prospect mid season. This is so common..
Deep market?
Boston doesn’t need a LH reliever. They don’t have room for the strictly LH reliever on the roster they have in Bobby Poyner. Someone who can get guys out from both sides? those are expensive, might as well get a RH guy which is cheaper.
the Red Sox (despite being in the WS) need any good reliever they can get lol LH or RH. Especially given that Kimbrel is probably going to leave in FA. saying they don’t have a “spot” for a LH is kind of silly because to be honest (and I’m a die hard Sox fan) they have a “spot” for ANY solid reliever. but fingers crossed Kelly, Braiser and Barnes can keep up their string of success this postseason. but let’s be real… they NEED bullpen help any way they can get it. BTW Poyner… isn’t even good enough to be on the postseason roster so he most certainly is not the “spot” blocking bringing in a lefty…
They have Sale,Price, E Rod, Porcello, Wright, Johnson, Velasquez, Barnes, Brazier,Hembree,Workman, Thornburg, Poyner and Scott 14 Ps under contract. Plus many think Feltman will be ready by May or June. They will save their money for Arb raises and extentions. They can always trade for relief help in June/July.
The problem with what you’re saying is 50% didn’t make the playoff roster with some injured (11 person staff) and there were many with huge questions entering the playoffs. Never mind a couple on the list might get traded or released.
No one on that list is getting released. If someone is traded they will need the roster spot for the P they get. They will not be trading Ps for hitters because they are full there too. Betts, Beni, JBJ, JD, Moreland, Devers, Bogey, Pedey, Nunez,Holt, Leon, Vaz Swihart give them 13 hitters. with Lin, Marco Hernandez and Sam Travis at AAA. Once they activate the 60 day DL players they will have 39 of 40 spots filled with several rule 5 players to protect or trade.The 3 big health “ifs” are Pedey, Wright and Thornburg. It makes no sense for them to commit big $$$ to free agents unless they already know someone will not be healthy in March. They will be looking for Brandon Phillips types that they can sign to MiLB deals and stash at AAA for depth.
Your list didn’t include another injured pitcher in Carson Smith. With respect to beijg released i was thinking of Thornburg despite the trade due to cost if he still shows signs of not being healthy and Scott due to a need to protect another player. They also could still resign Kimbrel especially if he becomes dominant again in the WS and as I bite my lips, Kelly.
1.Smith, Maddox, Cuevas,Poyner & Scott have options left and can be sent back and forth to AAA as needed. Ps with major league experience and options left have extra value.
2. They have way too much invested in Thornburg. He can not be optioned so like Swihart he must be kept on the 25 man roster or be lost to a waiver claim.
3. They could resign one of Kimbrel or Kelly but I do not think either is giving them a home team discount.
4. Feltman is the wild card.
I heard unsubstantiated posts from Boston fans here; how Bosox acted when Kimbrel’s daughter was hospitalized, might make him consider giving BoSox a hometown discount, or less money, if the offers are comparable.
Chapman took 86M to play for the Yanks, instead of the Marlins’ 92M.
Xab, I was one of those who posted about Kimbrel. What I sais then still matters. There are great children’s hospitals everywhere but if more treatment or surgery is needed, you tend to follow your doctors when it’s serious enough. I for one know this as before my wife first got sick four years ago, our home was about to be listed. Now with one or two more surgeries needed, we agreed to reassess where we want to live in the fall of 2020.
The Angels I’m sure want another lefty other than Alvarez
Think I meant to put them in there and forgot.
Why wouldn’t you just get another burrito Todd ?
Though the likelihood of him being traded is slim, Raisel Iglesias could potentially be acquired if another organization blows away the Reds with a great offer.
What arm does he throw with? Now go read the title of this article.
Jeff put urself in Cleveland GM shoes. Would you QO Miller? He has a 4.24 ERA, but 4 earned runs in 0.2 IP, last game. Does 3.51 FIP, 3.68 xFIP help his cause? (Suggest unlucky) Most Cle fans talk to here, say definitely not going to happen
Xab,
My guess is the money is too much. Given the injury history, would it make more sense to offer two or three years at far less per? His arm also has been used differently by Cleveland and seems to be a risk moving forward. I’ve certainly been wrong before but I just don’t see another 3 or 4 year deal at $10+m per.
Bringing Miller back at any price is a very un-Cleveland thing to do considering his age, declining performance, and growing injury history. Hopefully last winter taught the Tribe a lesson, however, in letting FA relievers walk without making any effort to replace them. Those needs never fill themselves, and the brass had to constantly cycle retread relievers through the pen for months before anything worked. CLE would be wise to let both Miller and Allen go, but they need to sign at least one proven commodity to fill that void.