We looked in at the top-performing one-year MLB contracts for position players from the 2017-18 offseason just this morning. Now, we’ll perform the same exercise for the hurlers.
It’s still early, of course, but there’s a fairly short period of time for one-year deals to pay off or fizzle out. We’ll identify those hurlers who have posted strong bottom-line results to date. Of course, the picture could still change quite a bit in a few months’ time; as we’ll see, some of the players cited below may well fade, while there’s still ample opportunity for others to deliver value. The six pitchers are ordered from lowest to highest guarantee:
- Trevor Cahill, SP, Athletics ($1.5MM): Signed late as a replacement for the injured Jharel Cotton, Cahill has been a revelation. He carries 11.6 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9, with a hefty 59.6% groundball rate, through 24 innings of 2.25 ERA pitching. Cahill is getting swings and misses at a 16.0% rate — rare air for a starter. We’ll have to see to what extent he can keep it going once he’s back from a brief DL stint, but it’s a fascinating showing for the 30-year-old veteran.
- Seung-hwan Oh, RHP, Blue Jays ($2MM): Swinging strikes are worthy of considering with regard to Oh, as well. Unfortunately, he’s again sitting in the ~12% range rather than the 18% rate he showed in his first season in the majors. Oh has also lost some fastball velocity. All told, it seems unlikely he’ll keep up his current pace after carrying a 1.65 ERA through 16 1/3 innings. Still, he looks to be a solid value for the Jays.
- Bud Norris, RHP, Cardinals ($3MM): The brilliant start to the season from Norris seems rather more sustainable. He’s averaging about a dozen K’s and one free pass per nine innings, with a 15.5% swinging-strike rate and a first-strike rate (72.1%) that’s easily a career-high and near the top among all relievers. This one seems to be a bargain.
- Doug Fister, SP, Rangers ($4MM): To be sure, 31 1/3 innings of 4.02 ERA pitching is not exactly exciting. Fister is humming along with a solid ~50% groundball rate to go with a middling mix of 7.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. But that’s a nice initial showing on a limited investment. Fister has, however, rather handily outperformed the contact he’s allowed. Statcast credits the hitters that have opposed him with a .352 wOBA that lands far shy of the corresponding .400 xwOBA, so the veteran righty could be in for some regression.
- Francisco Liriano, SP, Tigers ($4MM): Another veteran hurler who is sporting a yawning x/wOBA gap (.049 in this case), Liriano nevertheless carries a promising .313 xwOBA. Contact management helps explain how the southpaw has managed to throw 40 1/3 innings of 3.35 ERA ball to open the season despite a pedestrian combination of 6.5 K/9, 4.5 BB/9 and a 47.7% grounder rate. Still, it’d be a surprise if he’s able to keep up quite this rate of productivity.
- CC Sabathia, SP, Yankees ($10MM): It’s a bit unfair to include a player this costly here, but nevertheless it is notable that the Yanks got Sabathia to return for only a single-season commitment. He’s thriving through six starts, over which he has given 32 1/3 innings with a 1.39 ERA that’s the best of any hurler on this list. While a .211 BABIP screams good fortune, Sabathia has allowed a meager .238 wOBA (against a still-low .266 xwOBA) and has been quite stingy with the free passes (just 1.4 per nine). He’s not going to keep getting mid-prime results, but the 37-year-old is maintaining his arm speed and seems a good bet to continue providing quite a few quality frames over the 2018 season.
RedFeather
I thought the Cardinals should have tried to shine CC on a one year deal for depth.
Steven Chinwood
CC was only interested in returning to the Yanks.
RedFeather
Did he tell you that?
Kenleyfornia74
No its common sense. Cards would have had to make a huge overpay to get him out of NY
xabial
Sabathia gave Yankees a home-town discount. Don’t even think a 2 year deal from Cards would’ve gotten the job done, tbh.
Steven Chinwood
Pretty evident since he told the N.Y. media. So yea he’s telling me through the papers, Blogs, Sports Sites, ESPN and so on.
RedFeather
“Hometown discount” ha ha ha. No such thing. Especially in New York.
go_jays_go
Mariano Rivera signed a $10m/1yr deal back in the 2012/2013 off-season. That’s clearly a home town discount when inferior pitchers got better deals elsewhere.
hojostache
As much as it pains me to add Hellickson….he deserves to be on this list. He has nailed down the #5 spot on the Nats for a measly $2m/1yr contract.
27.2IP 20H 7ER 4BB 21K 2.28ERA 0.87WHIP
I wanted the Mets to take a flyer on him, but instead they overpaid for the 2nd half 6+ ERA Vargas…ugh. He is continuing his dumpster fire of a 2nd half now with the Mets.
ssacaffrey
Hellickson would be on this list but he signed a minor league deal. If it was a guaranteed MLB deal I would for sure expect him on this list
Steve Adams
Hellickson was already on the Minor League Deal version of this list for pitchers.
Adambr2
No love for Jeremy Jeffress?
Steve Adams
He didn’t sign as a free agent. The Brewers re-acquired him in a trade last summer, and he was retained through arbitration.
Adambr2
Ah. I guess I thought he’d be eligible for this list because he did technically sign a 1 year deal (they told him he’d be non-tendered if he didn’t take it), with 2 team options that look great now.
Either way definitely looks like a great deal.
brewpackbuckbadg
Lance Lynn?
matthew102402
Lance Lynn is paying dividends? Not so sure about that.
brewpackbuckbadg
Misunderstood the article. I thought it was about all one year starting pitchers.
Vedder80
Really? Is it the 7.28 ERA, 5.46 FIP, or 1.95 WHIP that is paying dividends. Perhaps it is the 10.6 HR/9?
go_jays_go
It pays dividends to the opposing teams.
thatdudetg
How is Bartolo not on this list?
brewpackbuckbadg
Did he have a minors deal? If so, see info above.
davidcoonce74
Minor league list was separate. Bartolo was a minor league deal.
mlb1225
I think it’s notable in Fister’s description, that he only has an ERA just above 4, because of his last start where he gave up 5 earned runs. Before that, he had a 2.88 ERA in 25 innings.