Finishing up our three part series on the biggest needs of the current ballclub, we end with the relievers, one of the most fickle positions on a team. One year you're Eric Gagne the Great, the next you're steroid-riddled Gagne the Goat. The same holds true for Derrick Turnbow, Ray King, and Steve Kline, all of which are available for a Rico Washington-signed bat and some Cody McKay batting gloves. A dynamite lefthanded reliever will get you far in the post-season, especially if all you faced were clones of Jim Edmonds, managed by Jim Edmonds. We all know the Cards have been struggling trying to establish a solid lefty reliever: Ron Villone was solid at the beginning of the season but has fallen by the wayside, Randy Flores' lefthanded-ness is probably the only reason he's still pitching, Tyler Johnson is out for the year, and, aside from Randy's alter-ego Ron Flores and the lefthanded starter Jaime Garcia, there isn't much help on the horizon. What to do?
Relievers
Brian Fuentes, Rockies: The filet mignon of lefthanded relievers, Fuentes is sure to be the hot target if the Rockies decide to get off their high horse and get in selling mode by the deadline. Fuentes satisfies the casual fan with his 2.05 ERA and the sabermetric fan with his 2.62 FIP and 7.92 K/9. He's holding lefties to a .184 BA over the past three years and righties to a .221 average. Two problems arise with Fuentes, however: how much would it take to outbid the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies to get him, and would he mind playing second fiddle to Izzy/Franklin when he gets here? The second problem isn't too big, as Fuentes has been used in a pseudo-platoon with Manny Corpas and he would probably get plenty of save chances in our bullpen. He's a free agent after the year.
George Sherrill, Orioles: Sherrill is an un-sexy name with sexy numbers: 3.94-3.18-3.12 (his FIP's over the past three years), 8.55-11.04-9.45 (his K/9 over the past three years), and a .151 BA against lefties over the past three years. The guy sounds like he could be my grandpa, but for all the mediocrity you might assume would come with the name, George has been pretty darn good. Before I get all man-crushy, he is 31 and won't be on the market until the Orioles say he is, which could be a while if we learned anything from the Brian Roberts tale. He has been a save machine and could step in as our full-time closer, but I'm sure other teams are thinking that exact same thought.
Alan Embree, A's: Alan's been a solid pitcher throughout his career, which is long - he's 38 years old. If the A's decide to sell, he could be the first to go. He has solid numbers (3.82 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 9.10 K/9) and has a $3 million option next year.
Eddie Guardado, Rangers: He's baaaaaaack. And better than ever. Well, not really, but it sounds better that way. Easy Eddie has recovered from his forgettable 2007 season with a 3.55 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and a 3.78 FIP. He has held lefties to a .186 BA but has not struck out many. The Rangers might decide to hold onto their lefthanded steal if they can stay within shouting distance in the AL West.
Damaso Marte, Pirates: Another favorite of mine, you deserve to have sweet results when you have a name like Damaso. He sounds like he could either bring death to the world as we know it or be the heir to a kingdom of hobbits inhabited by Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. Either way, you're getting a stud who has a 2.29 FIP this year and a 9.66 K/9. Surprisingly, he has been worse against lefties than both Randy Flores and Ron Villone this year, but he's the type of pitcher you would rather have up in October against the best of the best. He has a $6 million club option next year and is 33-years old, so there's a high chance he'd be a half-year rental. Still, I hope the Cards take a long, hard look at Marte.
Ron Mahay, Royals: What were we thinking? The guy has practically identical numbers as last year, and we sign Ron Villone instead. The salary must have scared us off, as Mahay took advantage of his 2.55 ERA last season and scored a two-year, $8 million contract from the Royals in his age 37 and 38 seasons. He currently has a 2.09 ERA and a 3.59 FIP, but he walks batters at a fairly high clip. I, too, am scared of the salary and wonder if Damaso's $6 million option might be a better use of several million bucks.
Brian Tallet, Blue Jays: At around 6'6", Brian is a beast to look at on the mound, and, given the circumstances surrounding the Blue Jays right now, is certainly going to be available for the right price. Currently, Tallet is sporting a 2.17 ERA and a 3.27 FIP. A good, low-cost option for the Cards to consider.
That wraps it for this three part series. Have any other suggestions for relievers? Let us know in the comments.
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