Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Yankees Interested in Joaquin Benoit

Pros:   Over the past four seasons, you aren't going to find many relievers who have pitched better.   In 268 games over that span, he has posted a 2.53 ERA (164 ERA+), 0.983 WHIP, and a 4.1 K/BB ratio.    After tearing his rotator cuff (causing him to miss the entire 2009 season), Benoit has been surprisingly durable.

Cons:  Benoit will be 36 at the start of the 2014 season, so his expiration date is not far away.  The rotator cuff has held up, but you always will have his past shoulder injuries in the back of your mind.  Also, and this is always important for the Yankees:  He doesn't generate a lot of ground balls.  That is not typically a good thing for a right-handed pitcher in Yankee Stadium, especially one you are asking to protect leads late in games. 

Bottom Line:    I would have to pass here.   He is a bit of a ticking time bomb, and I don't like right-handed pitchers who put balls into the air in this ballpark.  His home run rate is above average as is.

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