Improving with No Major Trades Reliever Edition

[gotbeer]

Expanding on the previous post I made.

 

Now looking at relievers.  I used the charts available here for righties, and here for lefties from fangraphs.  And I combined them in a google docs (need that function on here Chuck) here.  

 

Big question is, what do you want from a reliever?  I think this is a personal preference situation.  So here goes my preferences.  First tab uses the 2013 numbers, second tab, the last 3 years.

 

First, Wins, Losses, and Saves were not part of my filter.  As I stated in my previous post, closers are generally a lot more expensive than just relievers.

 

Games.  yes, I want pitchers that entered a lot of games, even if it was just for one batter.  So first filter, at least 30 games.  It's a bit low, but it's a start to widdle down.

 

BB/9.  yes, I don't want a walker.  (And I did not include K/9 because as I said in my previous post, a perfect inning is 3 pitches 3 outs, not 9 pitches 3 k's)  Made the cut 4 per 9 innings.

 

HR/9.  Don't want a home run pitcher.  Made the cut 1 per 9 innings.

 

LOB%.  Yes please.  If a pitcher comes in, leaving inherited runners on base is a good thing.  Made the cut at 80%.

 

So possible targets using my criteria for 2013

Joaquin Benoit Mariano Rivera Joe Nathan Joe Smith Jesse Crain Chad Qualls Scott Downs Jason Frasor Luis Ayala J.P. Howell

 

and for the last 3 years

Eric O'Flaherty Jesse Crain Mariano Rivera Joel Hanrahan Grant Balfour Luis Ayala Scott Downs Oliver Perez

 

And yes, I was surprised that Downs made my cut.

[ettin]

Jesse Crain has some of the best peripherals out of that group as well, thus his inclusion in my most recent 'Trade Speculation' article as a free agent acquisition.

[Docwaukee]

I'd be fine with adding Crain, Downs and one additional reliever.  Preferably a closer but I'd take Joe Smith.  That package would add about 13mil in payroll. 

[nikkachez]

Gimme Javier Lopez and/or one of Joe Smith or Jesse Crain and the bullpen is set. I feel like the extra work load for Frieri, and especially De La Rosa and Kohn, wore down the only valuable assets in the bullpen so getting as much depth as possible will help them as well. If Williams is retained he's the swingman, if not, Shoemaker and Roth battle for the title. Williams/Shoemaker/Roth, Kohn, De La Rosa, Burnett, Lopez, Crain/Smith, and Frieri looks like a solid bullpen to me. Also have Mike Morin and Jeremy Berg as depth options. Saw Morin pitch in the AFL Championship League and he had a nasty changeup with a low-to-mid nineties fastball, could be a good setup guy or even closer. 

Edited November 18, 2013 by nikkachez

[Angel Oracle]

Morin reminds me of Soria when he first debuted.

Nasty off speed and solid enough heat