Potential Free Agent Relief Pitchers

[endaround]

I'm going to look at the relief pitchers that are out thre that I think the Brewers might have interest in. I'm excluding most in tehir late 30s early 40s and Cordero because if they can get him at their price they will. Numbers listed are from 2007.

 

RHRP:

 

Octavio Dotel

Dotel may or may not be a FA, he has a player option for $5.5 million that the Braves can decline. He may want a long term deal. When healthy last year he pitched well, the when healthy thing being a big disclaimer.

K/9 12.03 BB/9 3.52 HR/9 1.17 FIP 3.79 ERA 4.11

 

LaTroy Hawkings

He has a mutual option for $3.75 million which I think he'd decline. He is likely looking at a decent pay day even though he really didn't have that great of a season. I think his ERA will lead to him getting more that he is actually worth.

K/9 4.72 BB/9 2.60 HR/9 .98 FIP 4.43 ERA 3.42

 

Jorge Julio

Yeah he's unlikely to be a big target. But he is only 28 and would be one who could finally put some control together. He made $3.6 million last season so who knows if he was willing to take a pay cut.

K/9 8.13 BB/9 4.50 HR/9 1.16 FIP 4.72 ERA 5.23

 

Byung-Hyun Kim

Another relatively young FA at 29. But his control seems shot. He is probably not quite as bad as he was last season.

K/9 8.14 BB/9 5.17 HR/9 1.52 FIP 5.72 ERA 6.08

 

Dan Kolb

Umm, yeah.

 

Scott Linebrink

After surveying the rest of the field, Linebrink looks better but thats based on him returning to some past form.

K/9 6.40 BB/9 3.20 HR/9 1.54 (career high) FIP 5.11 ERA 3.71

 

Brain Meadows

NRI type guy

 

David Riske

A risky signing (HA!HA!). Here's guy whose ERA doesn't match his underlying numbers. Be very scared. His numbers pretty much match his career numbers aside from ERA. Technically not a free agent but I'd assume he'd decline his option for one big pay day.

K/9 6.72 BB/9 3.49 HR/9 1.03 FIP 4.41 ERA 2.45

 

Julio Santana

Because NRIs to former Brewers always work well

 

Scott Strickland

A possible NRI but he might require more to consider the Brewers.

 

Luis Vizcaino

Serious control issues last year which was hidden somewhat by an incredibly low home run rate. Better in 2006 with the DBacks.

K/9 7.41 BB/9 5.14 HR/9 0.72 FIP 4.38 ERA 4.30

 

Scott Williamson

An interesting possibility but again more of a reclamation project.

 

Jay Witasick

Hey another guy to take a gamble on!

 

Kerry Wood

Likely the most talent on the list, but obviously there are health concerns. Pitched fairly well for the Cubs last year though of course he didn't pitch much. His cost could be anywhere from $3 million to $7 million for a team assigning him a closer spot right away.

K/9 8.88 BB/9 4.81 HR/9 0 FIP 2.83 ERA 3.33

 

LHRP

If you think the RHRP depth is slim:

 

Aaron Fultz

A Loogy with a $1.5 million team option. Don't see Cleveland letting him go, and not really a target for the Brewers anyway.

K/9 6.81 BB/9 4.38 HR/9 0.49 FIP 3.93 ERA 2.92

 

Joe Kennedy

More of a long man, 6th starter type over his career but did well as a relief guy for the As in 2006 (ERA 2.31, FIP 3.11).

K/9 4.15 BB/9 4.47 HR/9 0.73 FIP 5.07 ERA 4.80

 

Ray King

Since Gilbert Brown retired, Wisconsin sports searching for the next star to name a fast food item after. His home run rate started going up and has become pretty much a LOOGY. No dying need for the Brewers there.

K/9 5.67 BB/9 4.76 HR/9 1.36 FIP 5.65 ERA 4.76

 

Trevor Miller

Another LOOGY, this time with an Astros cap

K/9 8.94 BB/9 4.47 HR/9 1.17 FIP 4.65 ERA 4.86

 

JC Romero

Strand rate of an ungodly 89.8% gives us an ERA of 1.92.

K/9 6.71 BB/9 6.39 HR/9 0.48 FIP 4.64 ERA 1.92

 

Sorry if your favorite guy is left off (Geremi Gonzalez is a FA after all!). But its not really a strong class out there this year. Dotel and Wood would be my targets just because they seems to be the most talented guys available.

[trwi7]

The only ones I'd have any interest in are Linebrink, Wood and Dotel.

[JohnBriggs12]

Two you missed endaround:

 

Troy Percival, closer

 

Granted he's another huge injury risk, but he put up numbers worthy of closer consideration, 3-0, 1.80, 0.85 WHIP in 40 innings. His injury history should keep his price down, so he's certainly worth considering for Brewer pen.

 

 

Ron Mahay, A loogy+

 

Combined 3-0, 2.55 ERA with Rangers and Braves in 2007. Allowed just 52 hits and in 67 innings. Has been reasonably effective vs. righthanders too though he nibbles a lot against them.

[fondybrewfan]

What about Jeremy Affeldt, he filed for free agency as well. He would be worth a look IMO

[And That]

I'd love to go after Mahay. Vizcaino and Wood I'd also talk to, but the best relief pitcher the Brewers get this offseason is likely to be had via trade.

[dadofandrew]

Linebrink and Cordero are the tops of that weak list. They'll sure get paid this offseason.

[twobrewers]

Sign me up on the Dotel bandwagon. His injury history should keep his price reasonable. And I don't think his talent is much different than that of Wood.

[JohnBriggs12]

Rockies have officially declined the option on Hawkins.

 

He's said to be open if a team wants him as a closer or number one setup man, but if dollars are close, he figures to want to stay in Colorado.

 

I disagree with Al that it's a weak list. To me its about average and certainly not as weak as the FA starter group.

[BuckyTuba]

i thought i saw doug brocail on the free agent list.

 

affeldt and brocail are at the top of my list.

[dadofandrew]

SD turned down a tiny option on Brocail...I have to wonder if they know something we don't.

 

Hawkins is a solid guy, albeit plain.

[Fatter than Joey]

SD turned down a tiny option on Brocail...I have to wonder if they know something we don't.

 

I felt that way after the Linebrink trade.

[dadofandrew]

Linebrink compiled a 4.20 ERA last year, and has a career 4.07 mark. Not sure what was expected, but that's like 3% from his norm.

 

Scott was not bad at all, and much of his alleged "troubles" can be directly traced to his overuse in SD before the trade, as Simmons pointed out.

[DHonks]

I sure wouldn't want Vizcaino again. More erratic that Tbow! I like Dotel, Wood, Linebrink, Cordero, and a few others.

[endaround]

Linebrink compiled a 4.20 ERA last year, and has a career 4.07 mark. Not sure what was expected, but that's like 3% from his norm.

 

Scott was not bad at all, and much of his alleged "troubles" can be directly traced to his overuse in SD before the trade, as Simmons pointed out.

His FIP was 5.11. Maybe what was expected was something like he did the previous three years in SD where his FIPs were 3.50, 2.94, 3.86. His strike outs were down his walks were up and his home runs were up over 2006. He was bad.

 

[Fatter than Joey]

Scott was not bad at all

 

He really was, when you compare him to 2005, 2006 -- which is what people expected given what we had to get up to get him.

 

much of his alleged "troubles" can be directly traced to his overuse in SD before the trade, as Simmons pointed out.

 

I really don't buy this -- If you look at his use in SD, it is pretty consistent 2004-2007 -- it is not as if he pitched more innings in 2007 if anything, he pitched

less.

 

Simmons isn't going to say that Linebrink has a rag arm or anything negative about a pitcher that the Brewers may be trying to keep in the fold.

 

With regard to Brocail -- you mentioned that SD may know something that we don't-- and I agree. I felt like that they had a better read on Linebrink and especially

Thatcher than we did, so "fool me once...", I'd be pretty nervous of a guy that SD could have picked up but chose not to.

 

The thing I come out of with the whole Linebrink deal, is that they are probably better at evaluating pitching than we are.

[davemakovec]

I think FTJ got it exactly right - SD has to be better at evaluating pitchers. Their payroll isn't astronomical. They somehow always have three or four spectacular relievers, and a fantastic rotation. I wish we could develop pitchers like that, instead of getting a gem every six years.

[JJHardy7]

I don't know if San Diego is better at evaluating pitchers, or DM just thought Scott was really going to get us into the playoffs. We gave up way too much and if we can't evaluate what he gave up I'm really nervous about the future of our young pitchers.

 

I'm hoping the Brewers thought Scott was the missing piece.