Lefty Tommy Milone is now officially a free agent after electing free agency from the Mets, as Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports on Twitter. With over five years of MLB service but no 40-man spot, Milone had the right to test the open market.
In search of innings, New York had claimed Milone in early May from the Brewers. He ended up missing a good bit of the season and struggling when available. Milone fared about as poorly at each stop, finishing the year with 48 1/3 innings of 7.63 ERA pitching and 38 strikeouts against 14 walks.
That said, Milone has had success in the past and ought to draw interest from teams seeking depth and swingman options. Prior to stumbling over the past two campaigns, the now-30-year-old southpaw had posted 619 frames of sub-4.00 ERA ball.
Here’s the big issue with Milone. Aside from 2015 (4.30 FIP) his peripherals have always been similar (+ 1.0 HR/9 +5 FIP).
What? His FIP was only in the 5+ in 2016 and 2017. Where are you looking this up dude? He has solid numbers and is a workhorse
He could probably make more money in Japan or Korea, so for his sake he better start looking overseas for employment.
Maybe the Padres or Miami could use him?
As what? Certainly not a pitcher.
Have you seen their rotations
White Sox need innings and bad pitching, sign him on the cheap, if he loses then great, if he actually fares well, trade him.
I love how the title states he “elects free agency.” As if the Mets were considering in bringing him back.
They would for a lower value contract. With a team motto like, “we love to save every dollar that we can”, they are the front runner.
Dodgers will probably sign him to a minor league deal for depth and he will end up throwing like 90 innings of 3.21 ball or something.
A’s will bring him back as an innings eater.
I watched him a few times with the Mets and I was not impressed. He has an average fast ball but little control and absolutely no pitching sense. The guy is a meat head for lack of a better term. He probably blew people away in high school and in the minors but now that he’s not head and shoulders above everyone talent wise he cannot adjust. I can’t see who would want him.
Meat head?
Went and took a look at his yearly pitch data.
4-Seam: (88 MPH) Velocity still around career average. Pitch has less inside breaking movement then previous years, resulting in a straighter trajectory.
SNK: Velocity still around career average (88 MPH). Pitch has never been effective, having little movement down and away and sitting higher in the strike zone compared to the league average.
CH: Velocity still around career average (81 MPH). Pitch continued to improve in its glove-side movment . Pitch had a lower drop point then some of the previous years and as a result could have reduced its effectiveness.
SL: Introduced to his arsenal in 2016 (80 MPH). Has decent downward movement, but has below average horizontal movement.
CU: Velocity still around career average (75 MPH). Pitch continued a trend of moving across the plate more and dropping less, which could have negatively effected his performance.
CUT: Velocity still around career average (86 MPH) Pitch has good cutting action away and drops less then the league average.
Possible issues that attributed to his struggles:
– 4-Seamer straightening out more.
– Continued use of sub-par sinker
– Curve ball drifting over the plate towards right handers
– Using a newly added slide less slider.
– Reduced usage of effective cutter
Then again, I’m no pitching coach, so who am I to say anything?
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He really needs to improve or will be as he is – 4A pitcher, option of last resort as he was with the Mets. Very hittable. When he starts, I expect a thrashing and a loss.
If Gardenhire hires Rick Anderson as pitching coach in Detroit, there’s your landing spot. Gardy and Anderson love those pitch to contact guys.
When he was with the A’s, we called him “Home Milone” due to his huge home/road split differences.
I hope Milone gets a rotation spot somewhere purely for the fact I can take the Over every 5th day and win money.