Monday, January 07, 2013

2012 N.L. Relievers


While the performance of American League relievers was historically bad last season, what about the National League?

Ten Most Expensive N.L. Relievers 2012
#
Player
$
Sal
+/-
CBS
LABR
TW
PK
2011
1
Craig Kimbrel
$29
22
7
23
21
21
21
$26
2
Jonathan Papelbon
$22
19
3
19
19
19
19
$20
3
John Axford
$13
18
-6
18
19
18
17
$22
4
Joel Hanrahan
$17
17
0
17
15
18
17
$20
5
Drew Storen
$6
17
-11
19
19
12
7
$23
6
Heath Bell
$5
17
-12
18
17
15
19
$19
7
Rafael Betancourt
$14
16
-2
16
16
17
15
$11
8
J.J. Putz
$15
16
-1
16
17
15
17
$21
9
Jason Motte
$23
16
7
15
15
17
17
$14
10
Carlos Marmol
$8
15
-7
18
12
15
16
$13
Average
$15
17
-2
18
17
17
17
$19

Unlike in the A.L., this is much closer to what we expect from our reliever investments. Since 2009, the expert market has shelled out between $16-18 for a $13-16 return. Thanks to Kimbrel and Motte, instead of losing $3 per reliever like these relievers did from 2009-2011, they only lost $2 per reliever last year.

What you want to do with this information is entirely up to you.

Some owners look at the perpetual losses that relievers put up and avoid paying money for big-ticket closers. While I agree that your goal is profits and not losses, the reality is that if you do this, you're almost definitely committing to dumping the category.

Sixteen relievers in the National League saved 19 games or more last year. Thirteen of those 16 cost $11 or more. Of the nine relievers that saved 30 or more, seven of them are in the chart above. John Axford cost his owners six dollars last year...but he also saved his owners 35 games as well.

Strategy #2 if you're not spending big money on closers is to spend a moderate amount on the next tier.

Next Ten Most Expensive (11-20) N.L. Relievers 2012
#
Player
$
Sal
+/-
CBS
LABR
TW
PK
2011
11
Huston Street
$15
15
0
14
15
15
15
$11
12
Brian Wilson
$0
14
-14
13
16
14
15
$14
13
Frank Francisco
$9
14
-5
15
12
14
8
$8
14
Ryan Madson
12
-12
19
16
$17
15
Kenley Jansen
$20
11
9
8
13
11
10
$10
16
Brett Myers
$8
11
-3
10
9
13
11
$5
17
Javy Guerra
$6
11
-5
11
11
10
8
$11
18
Jonny Venters
$6
7
-1
7
6
7
5
$15
19
Sean Marshall
$12
6
6
2
4
13
11
$13
20
Tyler Clippard
$18
5
13
3
5
7
4
$16
Average
$9
10
-1
10
11
10
9
$12

This is a mixed bag. An owner that spent a combined $16 on Jansen and Clippard came out smelling like a rose, while an owner that spends a combined $25 on Wilson and Guerra surely was an unhappy camper. Wilson and Madson are the poster children for why some owners refuse to spend money on closers, but with Madson this was because of the early auction dates for CBS and LABR. Madson was already off the table for Tout Wars.

But if you're looking not just for value but saves this group doesn't do quite as well as the previous one. Clippard is the only 30+ save guy here, while only four others (Street, Francisco, Jansen, and Myers) save 10 or more.

The earnings are better in the next group, but this isn't where the saves are either.

Next Ten Most Expensive (21-30) N.L. Relievers 2012
#
Player
$
Sal
+/-
CBS
LABR
TW
PK
2011
21
Aroldis Chapman
$25
5
20
4
5
5
2
$5
22
Luke Gregerson
$12
5
8
8
3
3
2
$4
23
Sergio Romo
$15
4
11
2
6
3
4
$12
24
David Hernandez
$11
3
8
1
5
4
4
$11
25
Francisco Rodriguez
$8
3
5
1
3
4
3
$14
26
Kris Medlen
$25
2
23
3
4
$1
27
Andrew Cashner
$6
2
3
4
3
1
$2
28
Rex Brothers
$9
2
7
1
3
2
4
$4
29
Fernando Salas
$5
2
3
2
1
3
2
$19
30
Antonio Bastardo
$6
2
5
3
2
2
$13
Average
$12
3
9
2
4
3
2
$8

Medlen's presence here distorts this group somewhat. But he was in the Braves' pen to start the season, so this is where he goes.

The rest of these pitchers do what these types of pitchers have done for four years running: earn their owners some serious profits given the moderate investment. From 2009-2012, this bloc of pitchers has earned $7 or more while costing no more than $3.

If you're going to blow off saves, I'm an advocate of spending $3 or less per pitcher. However, that strategy would have probably resulted in dumping a category. Santiago Casilla, Steve Cishek, and Wilton Lopez were the only relievers that saved 10 or more games and cost less than $2.

I'm not an advocate for overpaying for saves for the sake of buying saves. And you might get saves if you don't spend $15 or more on a closer. Just keep in mind that the opposite is true. You might not get a closer if you don't spend money on saves. If you can live with this and can correctly allocate your money across the other nine categories (in 5x5), then by all means feel free to pursue this strategy to avoid losses. 

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