Yanks Getting Bullpen Savvy

The Yankees weren’t willing to give an older reliever a multi-year deal, and thus, in effect, ended up trading Luis Vizcaino, 33, to the Rockies for LaTroy Hawkins plus a supplemental draft pick. After rejecting a one-year deal with the Yanks through arbitration, the Rockies signed Vizcaino to a two-year deal for $7.5 million, with a vesting option for a third year that would bring the total amount of the contract to $11 million if Vizcaino makes 68 appearances in 2009. Hawkins will earn the same amount in 2008, but his contract is for just one year.

If you’ve taken anything away from this blog during its one glorious month of existence, it should be this: do not sign thirty-something relief pitchers to multi-year deals. Because of their erratic nature, it’s a huge gamble that cuts into the payrolls of small-market teams and limits the roster flexibility of big-market teams.

Luis Vizcaino and LaTroy Hawkins have had similar levels of success in the majors. If I had to guess, I’d say that Vizcaino will be somewhat more productive next year — as Hawkins was this past year — because he’ll be pitching in the National League. But with relievers, you never know. And that’s why the Yankees came out better in this swap.

Below: Vizcaino in a really awkward, full-body photograph.

LaTroy Hawkins To Be First “LaTroy” to Pitch For Yankees, But Not First “Hawkins”

Here’s a brief, exciting e-mail exchange between me and loyal Loogite and fellow Yankees’ fan, MJ, on this signing:

MJ:

LaTroy Hawkins is close to becoming a Yankee for 2008. He’s apparently going to get himself a one-year deal at $3.75M. It’s a one year deal which is nice but LaTroy Hawkins isn’t exactly what I’d call lights-out. On the bright side, Farnsworth now has a former teammate he can walk back from the bullpen with (2004 Cubs).

John Stevens:

Hawkins is very shaky, but with the current state of free-agent relief signings, I guess a one-year deal is the most you can hope for. This seems to squeeze out one of Veras or Ohlendorf. Not sure Hawkins is an upgrade.

MJ:

I don’t know who it squeezes but the Yanks definitely seem to be collecting righties for the bullpen. I guess it’s not a bad thing because they can always have Bruney/Britton/Veras/Ohlendorf/Ramirez in the minors on the ready as a musical chairs bullpen. Spring training will be interesting to see how Girardi builds his bullpen around Rivera and Farnsworth.

Remember Our Veterans

I like old people. But why do teams want veteran free-agent middle-relief pitchers so badly? Today’s example comes from an article discussing the Rangers’ off-season needs:

They want to add a veteran relief pitcher who can work late in the game...

They have interest in Eric Gagne coming back as their closer, but they may stick with Otsuka or Wilson as their ninth-inning guy and concentrate on finding a setup reliever. There is depth on the free-agent market in that area, including David Riske, Octavio Dotel, LaTroy Hawkins, Matt Herges, Ron Mahay, Rudy Seanez and Doug Brocail.

31-year-old Riske is a nice arm, and hasn’t exhibited Linebrink-like decline yet. After that, despite various degrees of success last year, there’s a lot of mileage on the arms of Dotel (33), Hawkins (34), Herges (37), Mahay (36), Seanez (39), Brocail (40). As I’ve written before, having these guys in your bullpen isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But veterans — like Linebrink — require more money and more security. To fill that last hole or two in the bullpen, a team would be wiser to take its chances with young pitchers who they won’t be stuck with if things don’t work out.