Javier Vazquez has thrown the second most innings (2,320.1) and recorded the second most strikeouts (2,122) in all of baseball since the start of the 2000 season, but 2010 was the worst year of his career. His return engagement with the Yankees resulted in 157.1 innings of 5.32 ERA, 6.9 K/9, and 1.8 HR/9 ball, certainly not what they Yanks expected after trading three young players for him last winter.
After a performance like that, it stands to reason that Vazquez would have some trouble finding work for next season, but that hasn't stopped him from expressing interest in pitching for the Nationals according to MLB.com's Bill Ladson. The Nats are one team that we know is ready to spend on pitching, and Javy has long preferred the East Coast so he could be close to his family in Puerto Rico.
Vazquez obviously will not approach the $11.5MM he made each year from 2008-2010, and a multi-year deal is unlikely as well. A pitcher with his track record is a nice candidate for one-year, low base salary contract, and the Nats are in the perfect position to gamble on deals like that. It's worth noting that his fastball velocity dropped off considerably this season, so perhaps all those innings are finally catching up to him at age 34.
I examined Vazquez's free agent stock a few weeks ago, and Luke Adams listed him as a pitcher that could benefit from a move to the NL.
He could also benefit from a faster moving fastball.
Vazquez could be usefull for the M´s, maybe a contract of 2 millions or so, he´s a veteran with succeed in the past, the same with Millwood, both could benefit playing in Safeco.
Felix
Vazquez
Vargas
Fister
Pineda, Millwood, Bedard
Vazquez has proven that he sucks in the AL. Would you want someone like him on the Mariners, and suck it up?
You guys need some offense. I don’t understand why you are evn looking at pitching. Ichiro and Gutierrez and no one else.
even Gutierrez is pretty average offensively..
well, slightly above average in 2009, and below average in 2010…
Good Riddance
I’m probably the only Yanks fan who likes Javy. His failures are not from lack of effort.
I think he would be a good number 3 to – number 5 for an NL team. Where between 3 and 5? It depends on whether he gets his fastball up to 90-92.
Maybe he would like to pitch for the Pirates? PNC Park is beautiful, and, no offense, they do have many young Central American players in their farm system (AKA Luis Heredia).
Perhaps nabbing Tony Pena to be manager would ameliorate the Pirates’ chances of landing him.
So who’s #1 in innings pitched since 2000? Doc? Hernandez? Does anyone know where i can find a stats database that lets me specify an interval of years?
Prob Hernandez. Heernandez started and had success earlier than Hallladay
Livan Hernandez
Hernande has also never been on the DL so I’m almost positive it is him
Not entirely sure why every time a pitcher succeeds in the NL and then fails in the AL it’s said that it’s because the AL is vastly superior.
You don’t go from being a 2.77 FIP pitcher to a 5.56 FIP pitcher because of a league change. When you lose 2 MPH hour on your fastball and lose the command and “bite” of your breaking stuff then I’m not sure a simple switch in league will allow you to become an effective pitcher again.
The Nats are a perfect spot for him
He would get paid, be a low-attention spot, and be back in the NL.
The Nats need SP upgrades across the board
Completely agree. The problem with our youth is that outside of Zimmermann and Strasburg, very few of the guys in the minors are MLB-ready. Javy is a guy who the Nats could plug into a 3-5 role and maybe unload him at the trade deadline for some prospects, assuming he regains his 2009 form.
yankees better offer him arbitration
Didn’t mean to like that.
Now, do you want the Yankees to offer him arby because you hate the Yankees?
Does Keith Law have a vote for this year’s AL Cy Young award?
Vazquez could use another $70K bonus.
Washington makes sense. East coast team that needs help in the rotation and he has had success in the NL east before with Montreal and more recently Atlanta. Low base on a 1 yr plus an option is a reasonable deal for him coming off a dismal year for NY.
But getting back to the NL in a low pressure environment would help. I know that his stuff was diminished some this year but he has never been a blow it by you type of guy. Its always been more movement than velo. Plus you have to take into account the very good possibility that he didnt want to be in NY.
I think in that park with some run production for him he could be a 15 wins type guy.
Another spot to look at for him especially if they deal one of their current guys, Sanchez or Nolasco, is Florida. Could be a nice fit for him there as well
Meh. Washington needs starting pitchers for sure. But they are pretty well stocked up with number 4-5 starters. And that’s all Javy is at this point.
Im not saying he is an Ace or anything but i dont think that he is just a 4th or 5th starter on a bad team. Getting out of NY and back to the NL he could be a 2 on a bad team and a 3 or 4 guy on a decent team.
How much are we talking when we say low base? Someone said two million a year but that seems extremely low.
Why do former Expos innings eaters want to pitch for the Nats so bad?
Livan pitched OK for the Nats because he could get by with an 82 mph fastball. Not sure Vazquez could do that.
82 is a bit of an exaggeration for Vasquez. In mid august Dave Eiland said he was going through one of those “dead arm phases”. Personally i think it had more to do with struggling in NY again and feeling relatively unwanted.
And even then he still was more in the 87-89 range and i think that he can be effective in that high 80s range provided he stays more Cutter/2-seam as opposed to trying to throw a 4-seam by hitters.
Cause even though he was a low 90s guy his out pitch wasnt his fastball it was his slider. Fixing that pitch is more of a concern than a couple mph dip in his velo.
Vazquez would be a perfect pick up for the Padres. Let Garland go and Vazquez could be the new veteren of the staff. Only bad thing is that Vazquez wants to stay on they East Coast. Latos, Richard, Vazquez, Stauffer and Luebke not a bad rotation at all.
Seriously, after the year he had I would hope that he would be interested in pitching anywhere. Beggers cannot be choosers.