MLB Free Agents 2014: Rumors and Predictions for Pitchers on Open Market
As offense continues to deflate, many of MLB's top free agents stem from the pitching side of the equation.
No team can ever have enough pitching, so few squads are set on the mound. Any hurler skilled at run prevention will attract attention on the open market.
Available pitchers come in all different shapes and sizes. Some aces can headline a rotation. A few dominant relief pitchers can cap off a bullpen. For those without such deep pockets, they can gamble on some riskier propositions.
TOP NEWS
Assessing Every MLB Team's Development System ⚾
.png?w=256)
10 Scorching MLB Takes 🌶️
Yankees Call Up 6'7" Prospect 📈
Let's cover a hurler from each category in the latest round of MLB free-agent rumors.
New York Yankees Lurking on Jon Lester?
When the Boston Red Sox are involved, the Evil Empire is typically not far behind. The New York Yankees have not been frequently linked to the top-tier starting pitchers, but it's never wise to count them out.
Peter Gammons advised everyone to monitor the Yankees, who could emerge as a dark horse for Jon Lester. Considered the two favorites to attain his services, the Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs will talk to the ace this week:
Last season, no starter other than Hiroki Kuroda made more than 20 starts for the Bronx Bombers, and the 39-year-old is also a free agent this winter. Yet, they shouldn't be desperate to buy a top starter, as they have CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova returning to join Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and a pleasantly surprising Shane Greene.
They'd be better off retaining Brandon McCarthy, who issued a 2.89 ERA, 82 strikeouts and 13 walks through 90.1 innings after getting traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Safe to say, he'll cost far less than Lester.
If anything, the Yankees will peek into the Lester sweepstakes in an attempt to drive his price up, coercing their American League East rivals to pony up more cash. The Red Sox currently have far less payroll tied up to overpriced veterans, so they'll likely bring back the lefty after a brief separation.
Prediction: Lester goes back to Boston.
Red Sox, White Sox Interested in Andrew Miller, Who Wants "Closer Money"
Few players, bolstered their free-agent value in 2014 more than Andrew Miller, who went from bust to bullpen gem during a sensational year.
In 62.1 innings, the former first-round pick tallied 103 strikeouts. Only Aroldis Chapman produced a higher strikeout rate per nine innings:
| 1 | Aroldis Chapman | 17.67 |
| 2 | Andrew Miller | 14.87 |
| 3 | Brad Boxberger | 14.47 |
| 4 | Kenley Jansen | 13.91 |
| 5 | Craig Kimbrel | 13.86 |
Those whiffs contributed to a 2.02 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and a deadline deal to the Baltimore Orioles, who utilized the lefty in high-leverage situations during the postseason. Teams, such as the Red Sox, took notice of his career renaissance.
According to the New York Daily News' Bill Madden, they are once again looking to reclaim a pitcher they jettisoned in July, even if it they have to pay top dollar to get him back: "The Red Sox are also said to be heavy into Miller, who is looking for closer money, which they’d be willing to pay since there are questions about Koji Uehara’s durability."
And they're not the only ones knocking at Miller's door. Per CBS Chicago's Bruce Levine, the Chicago White Sox met with his agent earlier in the week. Given their bullpen's 4.38 ERA and 4.51 walks per nine innings, they reek of desperation for a significant upgrade.
Such interest in Miller reflects the evolving intellect of MLB front offices, No longer are teams chasing players with gaudy save outputs, but instead, they are pursuing dominant relievers regardless of when they author their numbers.
As flawed as current bullpen usage is, most relief pitchers view a closing gig as the Holy Grail. The White Sox can offer that and a beefy contract to Miller.
Prediction: Miller signs with White Sox.
Josh Johnson Looking for Second Chance in San Diego
Although Josh Johnson never actually pitched for the San Diego Padres, he's interested in returning to Petco Park.
According to U-T San Diego's Dennis Lin, a few teams are talking to the oft-injured 30-year-old, who prefers to take another shot at pitching for the Padres in 2015:
On the heels of a disastrous 2013, in which he netted a 6.20 ERA and 1.66 WHIP, San Diego gambled on him with a one-year deal. Considering the former ace generated 83 strikeouts through 81.1 innings during that perilous campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays, he represented an intriguing buy-low flier.
He never took the field, instead injuring his elbow during spring training and undergoing his second Tommy John surgery. Given his slew of arm ailments, he'll likely receive nothing more than another one-year deal stuffed with incentives.
Johnson has only logged more than 150 frames in four individual seasons, but he has made a major impact when healthy, posting a 3.40 career ERA. The odds of getting 30 starts from him are extremely slim, but paying him a low sum in hopes of him taking the mound 15 times offers a high-upside roll of the dice.
Prediction: Johnson signs one-year, $1 million deal with Padres.
.png?w=480)
