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Health & Fitness

Daily Baseball Update Special: Hot Stove Preview: Pitchers

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There are plenty of good hitters, but this year's class of pitchers may rival them.  There are no superstars ready for $200 million contracts on the starting pitching side, but rather a slew of middle to top of the rotation guys.  However, there are plenty of star relievers to be had at.  Below are the top free agent pitchers, ranked and broken down between starters, right handed relievers, and left handed relievers.  In parentheses next to the name is the age for the 2014 season.

Starting Pitchers


1. Masahiro Tanaka (25)
2013 Stat Line (Japanese League): 24-0, 1.27 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 183 K's.
Many of you have heard of the new top Japanese pitcher, but to those of you who haven't, HE'S AWESOME.  Masahiro Tanaka, who has garnered almost as much attention as Yu Darvish did two years ago, was already a regular starter for the Rakuten Golden Eagles at 18 years old and recorded his 1300th inning pitched before his 25th birthday.  He is now being posted by the Golden Eagles (you know, that system where all the teams bid for negotiating rights and then they can exclusively negotiate with him within a certain window), similar to what happened with Yu Darvish and the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.  Here is a comparison between Darvish and Tanaka.  In Darvish's final Japanese season, 2011, he was 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA.  In Tanaka's final season, 2013, he was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA.  Tanaka will no doubt be extremely expensive just to talk to, but I'm really interested to see where he lands.  He is 99-35 with a 2.30 ERA for his career.

2. Matt Garza (30)
2013 Stat Line: 10-6, 3.82 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 136 K's.
After seeing guys like Zack Greinke, C.J. Wilson, C.C. Sabathia, and Cliff Lee sign as big time free agents, it's a little disappointing to see Matt Garza as the top major league free agent starting pitcher.  However, Garza will no doubt garner interest from many teams.  He's only 29 and has proven over his career that he can provide consistent success.  He hasn't posted an ERA above 3.95 since 2006 or a WHIP above 1.26 since 2007.  His best year was 2010, when he was 10-10 with a 3.32 ERA for the Cubs.  He is 67-67 with a 3.84 ERA for his career.

3. Ubaldo Jimenez (30)
2013 Stat Line: 13-9, 3.30 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 194 K's.
Ubaldo Jimenez experienced quite the bounce back season in 2013.  He was 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 2010, but struggled in 2011 and 2012.  In 2013, he came back and went 13-9 with a 3.30 ERA, proving instrumental in Cleveland's late season surge into the postseason.  In the month of September, he went 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA in six starts, earning AL Pitcher of the Month honors.  He won't turn 30 until January, so he proves to be a young option who could sign a long term deal.  The only thing that inhibits the possibility of a contract over, say five years and $70 million, is his inconsistency.  He regularly is among the league leaders in walks.

4. Roy Halladay (37)
2013 Stat Line: 4-5, 6.82 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 51 K's.
As of 2011, Halladay was arguable the best pitcher in baseball.  He had just posted his fourth straight season with an ERA below 2.80 and a top three spot on the league ERA chart.  Having been 19-6 with a 2.35 ERA in 2011, expectations were high.  However, in the past two seasons, he is just 15-13 with a 5.15 ERA in 38 starts.  2013 was an absolute struggle for him, as he was 4-5 with 6.82 ERA in 13 starts.  Despite these hardships, he still has a coveted arm that probably has a few years left in it.  I call him as a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year in 2014.

5. Josh Johnson (30)
2013 Stat Line: 2-8, 6.20 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 83 K's.
Like Halladay, Johnson has an established arm looking to get back on track.  From 2009-2011, he was 29-12 with a 2.64 ERA in 68 starts.  After an ok 2012 (8-14, 3.81 ERA), he was traded to the Blue Jays an imploded.  In just 16 starts, he went 2-8 with a 6.60 ERA, at one point giving up at least five earned runs in four straight starts.  Just 29 years old, he has plenty of time to recover and reestablish himself as one of the top starters in the game.  There will be quite a few teams willing to take a chance on him.

6. A.J. Burnett (37)
2013 Stat Line: 10-11, 3.30 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 209 K's.
After some rough seasons in New York, Burnett had a career resurgence in Pittsburgh.  He went 16-10 with a 3.51 ERA in 2012, followed by a 10-11 record accompanied by a 3.30 ERA in 2013.  In 2013, he struck out over 200 batters for the first time since 2008.  Due to his inconsistency and age, he most likely will not get a long term deal, but signing him to a two year deal would be a good move for many teams.

7. Ervin Santana (31)
2013 Stat Line: 9-10, 3.24 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 161 K's.
Santana is a little inconsistent, but when he's on, he's on.  He had a rough 2012, but sandwiched around that year were a solid 2011 and 2013.  His best year was 2008, when he was 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA.  He also won 17 games in 2010.  Last year, with the Royals, he was the recipient of some tough luck, going 9-10 despite a career best 3.24 ERA.  He's thrown 14 complete games, seven of which were shutouts.

8. Tim Hudson (38-39)
2013 Stat Line: 8-7, 3.97 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 95 K's.
He's getting old, but he can still pitch.  His season was ended prematurely last year by a freak broken ankle, but he has not posted a season with an ERA above 3.97 since 2006 and only one has reached that mark since 2000.  A member of Billy Beane's A's during the Moneyball era, he is 205-111 with a 3.44 ERA over his 15 year career.  He's top of the rotation quality and will certainly garner attention this offseason.

9. Hiroki Kuroda (38)
2013 Stat Line: 11-13, 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 150 K's.
Kuroda is getting older, but he is still performing at a high level.  He has kept his ERA under 3.40 every season since 2010 and has quietly become one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball.  He has been a recipient of bad luck in his career, as shown by a 68-70 career record contrasted with a 3.40 ERA.  In fact, he has only posted two winning seasons in his six year career: 2009 (8-7) and 2012 (16-11).  His success has come from an ability to avoid the walk, as he's walked just 257 batters in 1120 career innings, roughly 2.07 per nine innings.  Think about Ubaldo Jimenez, who has walked 573 in 1275.2 innings, good for 4.04 per nine innings.

10. Bronson Arroyo (37)
2013 Stat Line: 14-12, 3.79 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 124 K's.
If you want consistency, you got it in Arroyo.  He's made at least 29 starts in each of the past ten seasons and at least 32 in each of the past nine.  He's never been an ace, and with his 37th birthday coming up in February, he probably never will, but he's always been a reliable starter for Cincinnati, with whom he's spent eight seasons.  An accomplished pitcher, he's pitched in five postseasons, including two appearances in the 2004 World Series with the Red Sox.  For his career, he is 138-127 with a 4.19 ERA in 391 games (355 starts).

11. Dan Haren (33)
2013 Stat Line: 10-14, 4.67 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 151 K's.
Historically, Haren has been good, but he's had a couple of rough seasons.  In 2013, he posted the worst season of his career, going 10-14 with a 4.67 ERA.  What is concealed in these numbers is the fact that he actually had a solid second half.  From July on, he was 6-5 with a 3.29 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 16 games (15 starts), looking like his old self.  The problem was that over the first three months of the season, he was 4-9 with a 6.15 ERA in 15 starts.  A team signing him could get first half Dan Haren or second half Dan Haren.

12. Bartolo Colon (41)
2013 Stat Line: 18-6, 2.65 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 117 K's.
By sheer numbers, Colon had the best season of any free agent pitcher (other than maybe Tanaka).  However, the reason he ranks 12th is that he is 40 years old and 265 pounds.  I don't know how long he can hold up.  He has survived mostly on control, walking only 52 batters in 342.2 innings over the last two seasons, good for 1.37 walks per nine innings.  Control usually doesn't go away with age.  He gives up a lot of hits, totaling to more than one per inning pitched, and I don't expect that to improve in 2014, his age 41 season.

13. Jason Vargas (31)
2013 Stat Line: 9-8, 4.02 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 109 K's.
Vargas has proven to be consistent starter over the years.  He's never been an ace, but he's never been an afterthought.  In 2012, he posted the best year of his career, going 14-11 with a 3.85 ERA.  Injuries limited his 2013 season, but he still finished 9-8 with a 4.02 ERA in 24 starts.  A master of the shutout, he's tossed five in the past three years, including a three hitter of the Orioles on May 3rd.  Including the shutouts, he's actually thrown nine complete games in those three years.  

14. Scott Feldman (31)
2013 Stat Line: 12-12, 3.86 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 132 K's.
Feldman had one of the best years of his career last year, setting a career best with a 3.86 ERA.  However, he has been inconsistent over his career, so teams will be skeptical to give him a multi-year deal.  Back in 2009, he was 17-8 with a 4.08 ERA.  This year, he tossed his first complete game, as well as his first shutout, the latter a five hitter over the White Sox.  

15. Bruce Chen (35-36)
2013 Stat Line: 9-4, 3.27 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 78 K's.
Chen experienced some of the best years of his career in Kansas City.  In 2011, he was 12-8 with a 3.77 ERA.  Last year, he went 9-4 with a 3.27 ERA, albeit doing so in 34 games (15 starts).  He'll turn 36 halfway through the 2014 season, so he likely won't get a deal of more than two years, but he's pitched well with age.  The lefty can function as a starter or a reliever.

Other starters: Phil Hughes, Ricky Nolasco, Joe Saunders, Paul Maholm, Barry Zito, Roy Oswalt, Jason Hammel, Chris Carpenter, Scott Kazmir, Clayton Richard, Jeff Karstens, Colby Lewis, Jeff Karstens, Gavin Floyd, Edinson Volquez.

Right Handed Relievers


1. Joe Nathan (39)
2013 Stat Line: 1.39 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 43 SV, 10.16 K/9 (Strikeouts per nine innings).
Nathan turns 39 this month, but he's shown no signs of slowing down, posting one of the best years of his illustrious career in 2013.  The 1.39 ERA was the second best of his career, as was his 0.90 WHIP, and the 43 saves were his third best total.  He set a career best by allowing opponents to bat just .162, having given up 36 hits in 64.2 innings as the Texas closer.  He has 341 saves and a 2.76 career ERA.

2. Fernando Rodney (37)
2013 Stat Line: 3.38 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 37 SV, 11.07 K/9.
Rodney will forever be remembered for his 2012 season for the ages.  In 76 appearances that year, he allowed just five earned runs, posting a 0.60 ERA, the lowest in major league history.  Opponents batted just .167 that year as his WHIP sat at 0.78.  He also saved 48 games in 50 tries.  Last year, he came back down to Earth, finishing with a 3.38 ERA and 37 saves.  He will no doubt be one of the most sought after closers.

3. Joaquin Benoit (36-37)
2013 Stat Line: 2.01 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 24 SV, 9.81 K/9.
Benoit, who set the major league record for longest save ever recorded back in 2003 (seven innings), is notably up and down.  He was the Texas Rangers pitcher of the year in 2007, going 7-4 with a 2.85 ERA and six saves.  In 2008, his ERA ballooned to 5.00, then he missed the whole 2009 season.  In 2010, he came back with a 1.34 ERA and a 0.68 WHIP to earn the Set-up Man of the Year award with the Rays.  He was up and down with the Tigers over the past few seasons, posting his best year last year, his first as a closer.  He saved 24 games in 26 tries while holding down a 2.01 ERA.

4. Jesse Crain (32-33)
2013 Stat Line: 0.74 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 0 SV, 11.29 K/9.
Crain was pitching extremely well last season when a shoulder injury cut him down at the end of June, causing him to finish with a 0.74 ERA through 38 appearances.  He's still a good bet for a team looking for an established reliever, as he has 532 relief appearances at the age of 32.  He's been a set-up man for most of his career, and a rather good one at that.  He holds a 3.05 career ERA, and opponents bat .229 against him.  

5. Joel Hanrahan (32)
2013 Stat Line: 9.82 ERA, 2.18 WHIP, 4 SV, 6.12 K/9.
Injuries curtailed Hanrahan's 2013 season early, as he made just nine appearances on the year.  Since he had Tommy John surgery in May, he likely will not pitch on Opening Day, but says that he targets an April return.  His best season came in 2011, when he posted a 1.83 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP while saving 40 games for the Pirates.  He was also very good in 2012, saving 36 games with a 2.72 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP.  He has 100 career saves.

6. Grant Balfour (36)
2013 Stat Line: 2.59 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 38 SV, 10.34 K/9.
The fiery Australian only ranks so low because of his home/road splits.  Pitching in pitcher-friendly O.Co Coliseum skewed his stats.  In 36 home appearances last year, he posted a 1.98 ERA with a 1.02 WHIP.  In 29 road appearances, his ERA was 3.42, while his WHIP stood at 1.44.  He had similar home/road splits for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, both with the A's.  Look past those splits, and you can see that he was still good on the road, meaning he could still land a lucrative deal.

7. Edward Mujica (30)
2013 Stat Line: 2.78 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 37 SV, 6.40 K/9.
Mujica was having a great season all the way up until September.  As August drew to a close, he held a 1.73 ERA as the Cardinals closer, as well as a 0.78 WHIP and 35 saves.  However, in the month of September, he managed to lose his closer's role by posting an 11.05 ERA and a 2.73 WHIP, allowing runs in six of his ten appearances.  Despite the September slump, he still finished with a respectable 2.78 ERA and 37 saves, good enough for the best year of his career.  At just 29 years old, he is one of the younger options that could get a few years on his contract.

8. Francisco Rodriguez (32)
2013 Stat Line: 2.70 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 10 SV, 10.41 K/9.
K-Rod, with all his personal issues and lawsuits, is one of the most exciting pitchers in baseball.  He strikes out a lot of batters even set the single season save record in 2008, recording 62 saves.  He has 304 career saves and a 2.70 ERA over 730 appearances.  He did not begin his 2013 season until May 16th due to injury.

9. Brian Wilson (32)
2013 Stat Line: 0.66 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 0 SV, 8.56 K/9.
By his excellent return in 2013, Wilson has proven that he is healthy and fully recovered from 2012 Tommy John surgery.  After his 2010 season where he saved 48 games, posted a 1.81 ERA, and made his beard famous, he put up a solid 2011 and missed almost the entire 2012 season.  The Dodgers took a chance on him in 2013, and it worked out.  In 18 games, he allowed just one earned run on eight hits, putting himself back on the radar as a closer.

10. Chris Perez (28-29)
2013 Stat Line: 4.33 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 25 SV, 9.00 K/9.
Chris Perez saved 124 games for the Indians from 2009-2013, but the time came to part ways with the fiery closer.  He's pitched gradually worse every year since 2010, as his ERA has jumped from 1.71 to 3.32 to 3.59 to 4.33.  Perez was actually pitching well four months into the season, holding a 2.41 ERA at the trade deadline.  However, he posted a 7.52 ERA in August and September, causing Cleveland to release him after the season.  Opponents bat .218 against him for his career.

Other right handers: Jose Veras, Kevin Gregg, LaTroy Hawkins, Joba Chamberlain, Ryan Madson, Jose Valverde, Chad Qualls, Matt Albers, Luis Ayala.

Left Handed Relievers
Note: LBAA=Left handers' batting average against.  This is the batting average that left handed hitters post against the pitcher.

1. J.P. Howell (31)
2013 Stat Line: 2.03 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 7.84 K/9, .164 LBAA.
J.P. Howell cemented his status as one of the best left handed relievers in baseball in 2013, setting a career best with his 2.03 ERA.  He's always been tough on lefties, as they hit just .164 against him last year.  He is good enough as a reliever to be a set-up man and even closed for the Rays in 2009.  I'm not going to lie; out of all the free agents available, I would most like to see the Nationals sign Howell.

2. Eric O'Flaherty (29)
2013 Stat Line: 2.50 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 5.50 K/9, .143 LBAA.
O'Flaherty had Tommy John surgery in May, but he is arguably the best left handed reliever in baseball.  Back in 2011, he posted a 0.98 ERA while left handers batted just .195.  He came back with a 1.73 ERA in 2012, this time lowering his LBAA all the way to .118.  19 appearances into the 2013 season, he tore his UCL to end his year.  He owns a 2.85 career ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.

3. Javier Lopez (36-37)
2013 Stat Line: 1.83 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 8.47 K/9, .156 LBAA.
It's not all that often that a left handed specialist wins three World Series championships in five years, but that's what Lopez did.  The Robinson Secondary School (Fairfax, VA) alumnus won World Series titles in 2007 (Boston), 2010 (San Francisco), and 2012 (San Francisco).  He set career bests with a 1.83 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 2013, allowing left handers to bat just .156.  The sidearmer has not posted an ERA above 2.72 since 2009.

4. Scott Downs (38)
2013 Stat Line: 2.49 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 7.68 K/9, .259 LBAA.
Downs has been one of the better left handed relievers in baseball for a while, but he had an extremely tough time getting lefties out in 2013.  After posting a 1.34 ERA and a .179 LBAA in 2011, he had an average 2012 then struggled in 2013.  Despite his solid 2.49 ERA, lefties hit .259 in 2013.  He struggled so badly after his trade to the Braves that he was actually left off the postseason roster.  However, he is still a great reliever who should have plenty of job offers.

5. Boone Logan (29)
2013 Stat Line: 3.23 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 11.54 K/9, .221 LBAA.
Logan adds to the long list of Yankee free agents, which includes Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, Hiroki Kuroda, Kevin Youkilis, Mark Reynolds, and Phil Hughes.  Even Derek Jeter was to become a free agent, but the Yankees resigned him to a one year deal.  Logan has been crucial to the Yankees' success, for long periods of time acting as their only left hander.  He usually only faces left handers, as 83 of the 153 batters he faced in 2013 batted left handed.  Oh, and he struck out 34 of the 83.

Other left handed relievers: Matt Thornton, Darren Oliver, Mike Gonzalez.

-- 
Teams followed in this update: Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers
If your team is not included, please leave a comment.
HR: home runs.  RBI: runs batted in.  AVG: batting average.  SB: stolen bases.  ERA: earned run average. WHIP: walks/hits per innings pitched.  K's: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage
Zack Silverman

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