Top 10 A.L. Free Agent Pitchers 2009
| # | Player | $ | AP | SW | BABG | FAAB | 2008 |
| 1 | Andrew Bailey | $27 | $3 | ||||
| 2 | Scott Feldman | $19 | R3 | $2 | $0 | ||
| 3 | Michael Wuertz | $19 | $2 | $1 | $2 | ||
| 4 | Jason Frasor | $16 | R3 | $6 | $2 | ||
| 5 | Matt Guerrier | $14 | R3 | $1 | $1 | ||
| 6 | Craig Breslow | $12 | $1 | $1 | $6 | ||
| 7 | Darren O'Day | $12 | $1 | $0 | |||
| 8 | Matt Palmer | $12 | $8 | -$3 | |||
| 9 | Brad Bergesen | $12 | $8 | ||||
| 10 | Ricky Romero | $11 | $2 | $15 | |||
| Average | $15 | $0 | $5 | $1 |
The top of this list is utterly dominated by relief pitchers. Only Feldman cracks the first seven pitchers; everyone else started the year as a middle reliever. Bailey and Frasor picked up enough saves that I wouldn't consider them middle relievers by the end of the season, but Wuertz, Guerrier, Breslow and O'Day definitely earned their money in middle relief.
If you include Palmer as a starter (he had more appearances in relief), then only five FA starting pitchers cracked double digits; Tommy Hunter earned $10. Two other relievers (Jason Bulger and Jose Mijares) cracked $10 on the relief side. Relievers definitely had more of an impact last year in the A.L.
Was the story the same in the N.L.?
Top 10 N.L. FA Pitchers 2009
| # | Player | $ | AP | SW | LIBL | FAAB | 2008 |
| 1 | Randy Wells | $17 | $1 | $1 | |||
| 2 | Nick Masset | $13 | $2 | ||||
| 3 | Jason Marquis | $12 | $1 | $3 | $6 | ||
| 4 | Cliff Lee | $11 | $86 | $37 | |||
| 5 | Ronald Belisario | $11 | $1 | $1 | |||
| 6 | Todd Coffey | $10 | $1 | $1 | |||
| 7 | Kiko Calero | $10 | $1 | $2 | $0 | ||
| 8 | Jeff Fulchino | $10 | $1 | -$3 | |||
| 9 | Tyler Clippard | $9 | $1 | -$0 | |||
| 10 | Trever Miller | $9 | $2 | $3 | |||
| Average | $11 | $0 | $0 | $10 | $5 |
Even more so. Wells and Marquis were the only undrafted starters to make this list who were in the N.L. from the get-go. Lee had quite an impact, but obviously wasn't available in most standard N.L. auctions on Opening Day.
After Lee, Hammel is the next freebie (at $9) and is ranked 12th among the free loot. After that you have to squint to find Brad Penny ($7, 21st) and Vicente Padilla ($6, 33rd).
In other words, of the best 33 free agent pitchers in the National League last year, 27 of them were relievers.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out what your course of action should be going forward. Good middle relievers are better than bad starting pitchers - and there are far more good middle relievers to go around. You might not find Wuertz or Masset on your first try, but you should have plenty of opportunities to keep plugging away until you get what you're looking for.
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