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In the next week, just about every player on every roster in baseball will be put through waivers. Some pitchers won't clear (Halladay, Santana, JJ, Lincecum, etc), but some will.
I thought this could be a fun thread to both speculate as to who may clear, and more than that, who may and may be a good fit, since I think everyone (and I hope that includes Beinfest & Co.) realize we're at least 1 starter short, and almost certainly a left-handed starter short.
So, to kick this thread off, the 5 starting pitchers I'd consider most likely to clear waivers that fit our needs:
#1 Paul Maholm (1 year, $2.5 mil, arby eligible 2010, 2011) - 6-6, 4.75 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 134.2 innings, 84 K's 42 BB's. He's due a lot of cash for a back end starter, so he'll probably clear. The Pirates are having a going out of business sale, so he'll probably be imminently available once he clears, and honestly I love him for 2 reasons: he's left-handed and logs innings. The only real question is, with the Pirates owning his 2010 and 2011 seasons, do they ask for more than would normally befit a 4th starter, and, most importantly, do they kick in the cash we'll almost assuredly seek to cover his remaining salary.
#2 Carl Pavano (1 year, $1.5 mil) - 9-8, 5.37 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 125.2 innings, 88 K's 23 BB. If rumors are to be believed, we kicked the tires heavily on him. Truthfully, he'd be an ideal fit as a 4/5 in the NL; and we know he can pitch well at Landshark Stadium. Whether or not he clears is another story. The Indians obviously like him enough to pull him back to any claiming team that's simply there to block him, and $750K with no 2010 commitment is enticing to a lot of contending teams, so there's no fear of being "stuck" with him, but I'd suspect we put a claim in on him and try to work something out. Truthfully, he's the best name on the list, but I doubt he clears; we'd have to hope he falls to us and we can work something out with the Indians in the 48 hours we'd have to do so.
#3 Jon Garland (1 year, $6.25 mil) - 6-10, 4.26 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 137.1 innings, 59 K's, 45 BB's. He's had a bad year, but he will assuredly clear. The D'Backs are going no where this year or next, so they'd love to have something to show for a bad signing. My gut says Tucker is probably enough to flat out get him, Tucker + gets him and his salary paid for in full. He's pitched really well recently, running 7 straight quality starts in his last 7 starts. He's a great fit for us if we can swing the remaining salary. Still, when you're as tantalizingly close as we are now, you'd hope we'd bite the bullet if he comes (as I'd expect) cheaply.
#4 Brian Bannister (1 year $1.74 mil; arby eligible 2010) - I only put his name on here because he'd been dangled, he's a guy who possibly clears only out of fear that someone'd be on the hook for his $900K or so due the rest of the season. He'd also be a guy worth paying an August price (yeah, that pun was semi-intentional) to acquire as he'd make the rotation going forward oh so sexy.
#5 - Brian Tallet (1 year deal, $1.15 mil); 5-6, 5.03 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 112 innings, 83 K's, 55 BB - No he's not perfect, but with about $500K due the rest of the year, he's a safe bet to clear since the Jays would probably just flat out assign him to a claiming team. At the least he gives us back end of the rotation innings, as a lefty, plus, his arsenal of junk pitches probably suit themselves well for Landshark Stadium.
I thought this could be a fun thread to both speculate as to who may clear, and more than that, who may and may be a good fit, since I think everyone (and I hope that includes Beinfest & Co.) realize we're at least 1 starter short, and almost certainly a left-handed starter short.
So, to kick this thread off, the 5 starting pitchers I'd consider most likely to clear waivers that fit our needs:
#1 Paul Maholm (1 year, $2.5 mil, arby eligible 2010, 2011) - 6-6, 4.75 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 134.2 innings, 84 K's 42 BB's. He's due a lot of cash for a back end starter, so he'll probably clear. The Pirates are having a going out of business sale, so he'll probably be imminently available once he clears, and honestly I love him for 2 reasons: he's left-handed and logs innings. The only real question is, with the Pirates owning his 2010 and 2011 seasons, do they ask for more than would normally befit a 4th starter, and, most importantly, do they kick in the cash we'll almost assuredly seek to cover his remaining salary.
#2 Carl Pavano (1 year, $1.5 mil) - 9-8, 5.37 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 125.2 innings, 88 K's 23 BB. If rumors are to be believed, we kicked the tires heavily on him. Truthfully, he'd be an ideal fit as a 4/5 in the NL; and we know he can pitch well at Landshark Stadium. Whether or not he clears is another story. The Indians obviously like him enough to pull him back to any claiming team that's simply there to block him, and $750K with no 2010 commitment is enticing to a lot of contending teams, so there's no fear of being "stuck" with him, but I'd suspect we put a claim in on him and try to work something out. Truthfully, he's the best name on the list, but I doubt he clears; we'd have to hope he falls to us and we can work something out with the Indians in the 48 hours we'd have to do so.
#3 Jon Garland (1 year, $6.25 mil) - 6-10, 4.26 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 137.1 innings, 59 K's, 45 BB's. He's had a bad year, but he will assuredly clear. The D'Backs are going no where this year or next, so they'd love to have something to show for a bad signing. My gut says Tucker is probably enough to flat out get him, Tucker + gets him and his salary paid for in full. He's pitched really well recently, running 7 straight quality starts in his last 7 starts. He's a great fit for us if we can swing the remaining salary. Still, when you're as tantalizingly close as we are now, you'd hope we'd bite the bullet if he comes (as I'd expect) cheaply.
#4 Brian Bannister (1 year $1.74 mil; arby eligible 2010) - I only put his name on here because he'd been dangled, he's a guy who possibly clears only out of fear that someone'd be on the hook for his $900K or so due the rest of the season. He'd also be a guy worth paying an August price (yeah, that pun was semi-intentional) to acquire as he'd make the rotation going forward oh so sexy.
#5 - Brian Tallet (1 year deal, $1.15 mil); 5-6, 5.03 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 112 innings, 83 K's, 55 BB - No he's not perfect, but with about $500K due the rest of the year, he's a safe bet to clear since the Jays would probably just flat out assign him to a claiming team. At the least he gives us back end of the rotation innings, as a lefty, plus, his arsenal of junk pitches probably suit themselves well for Landshark Stadium.
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