Seeing the contracts handed out for pitchers like Mike Dunn and Marc Rzepczynski, you know that the market for left-handed relievers this offseason has gotten out of the hand. Once these contracts were finalized it all but ensured Jerry Blevins was going to get the three year deal he wants on the free agent market.
With the Mets looking to cut payroll and unwilling to give a multi-year deal to a reliever, it not only means Blevins is as good as gone, but it may also mean the Mets may need to turn to the next tier of left-handed relievers.
Fortunately for the Mets, there are a number of left-handed relievers who will likely garner nothing more than a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Here are some of the better candidates:
2016 MiLB Stats: 6-3, 2.84 ERA, 16 G, 79.1 IP, 1.097 WHIP, 4.7 K/9
LHH BA (AAA): .234
The 29-year old Greenwood had a largely undistinguished minor and major league career, and he found himself looking for a job last offseason. Like many in his position, he played independent baseball, and he pitched well. In three starts, Greenwood didn’t allow a run, and he was picked up by the Twins organization. He would spend the final few months of the season pitching in the minors.
Greenwood finds himself in the same spot again this year, but at least this time, he is coming off a much more successful season. His stuff isn’t that impressive with none of his pitches topping 90 MPH. Mostly, he pounds his sinker and uses his change up to get a high rate of groundballs. He’s not going to be the guy who comes in to strike out a lefty, but he could be the guy to get the lefty to pound the ball into the shift.
Greenwood also has the ability to start games which he has done 33 times in the past two seasons.
2016 MiLB Stats: 3-7, 4.11 ERA, 31 G, GS, 61.1 IP, 1.370 WHIP, 9.1 K/9
LHH BA (AAA): .143
The 26-year old Grullon has well established this deep into his minor league career that he is best suited to be a LOOGY. This may be in part due to the fact he throws from the 3/4 arm slot. The arm slot may well go to explain why Grullon records a fairly high strikeout total while also generating a lot of groundballs with a 90 MPH fastball and an 80 MPH slider.
2016 MiLB Stats: 1-0, 1.85 ERA, 15 G, GS, 24.1 IP, 1.027 WHIP, 12.9 K/9
2016 MLB Stats: 0-1, 9.35 ERA, 9 G, 8.2 IP, 3.000 WHIP, 9.3 K/9
LHH BA (MLB Career): .197
The 31-year old Luebke has gone from a prized starting pitching prospect to a pitcher who has twice needed Tommy John surgery. After the second surgery, the Padres determined he should move to the bullpen, and he has been there ever since. He was a fell good story making the Pirates out of Spring Training, but he would struggle, be released, and he would finish the season with the Marlins AAA affiliate.
Luebke still has his velocity being able to throw in the low nineties with this fastball. Mostly, Luebke is a fastball-slider pitcher who could very well thrive with the Mets. He generates a good number of strikeouts, and he keeps the ball on the ground. There may very well still be a second act to Luebke’s major league career, and it could be as a late inning reliever or LOOGY.
2016 MLB Stats: 0-0, 14.00 ERA, 8 G, GS, 9.0 IP, 2.889 WHIP, 3.0 K/9
LHH BA (MLB Career): .213
Seemingly just overnight the 29-year old Matusz forgot how to pitch. He would be traded to the Braves for a pair of minor league relievers. The Braves released him, and he would get picked up by the Cubs. After being ineffective for the Cubs, he would be again released.
In 2012, the Orioles had finally conceded the one-time fourth overall pick was better suited to the bullpen than the rotation. That season, Matusz limited batters to a .117/.170/.182 batting line while having a 1.35 ERA, 0.600 WHIP, and a 12.8 K/9 out of the bullpen.
From that point forward, Matusz was used exclusively out of the bullpen for the Orioles. From 2013 – 2015, Matusz was a very good reliever positing a 3.32 ERA, 1.220 WHIP, and a 9.4 K/9 while averaging 62 appearances and 51.0 innings per season.
For some reason, Matusz fastball and slider were getting hit more frequently and much harder than they had been in year’s past. Matusz compounded whatever issues he had with those pitches by throwing his fastball and slider more frequently this season than he has done in his career.
Overall, Matusz may just need a mechanical adjustment and/or a new voice. At his age, and with his stuff, he should still have plenty of baseball in front of him. With a pitching coach like Dan Warthen, there is good reason to believe he can return to his prior form.
2016 MiLB Stats: 3-5, 4.29 ERA, 29 G, 13 GS, 79.2 IP, 1.343 WHIP, 5.5 K/9
2016 MLB Stats: 0-0, 18.69 ERA, 7 G, 4.1 IP, 3.231 WHIP, 8.3 K/9
LHH BA (MLB Career) .248
The 30 year old Russell has become a bit of a journeyman in his career despite his having some good seasons out of the bullpen. From 2012 – 2014, Russell was a reliable bullpen arm posting a 3.26 ERA, 1.219 WHIP, and a 6.7 K/9 over the three year stretch. Since 2015, it has been a struggle for Russell.
What separates Russell from most pitchers is whereas most pitchers predominantly throw the fastball, Russell is a slider pitcher. For a Mets fan point of reference, think of how Turk Wendell threw slider after slider on the mound. Russell is a left-handed version of that except he has not had the same level of success as Wendell.
With that said, if you are a pitcher that is reliant on the slider for success, the Mets are a good destination. With some tweaks and mechanical changes, Russell could once again get back to becoming a reliable bullpen arm.
Our first article in this series we covered right-handed relievers.
