More than 15 teams -- over half of the league -- are looking into free agent reliever Andrew Bailey, reports Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors.
Andrew Bailey free agency: Over 15 teams in on pitcher
Bailey could be a great under-the-radar signing for a team looking to bolster its bullpen.
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Bailey, 29, was non-tendered by the Boston Red Sox last week. They could certainly be one of the teams in on him now in the hopes that they can sign him to a cheaper deal than the $4.3 million MLBTR estimates he would have received in arbitration.
Any team willing to sign the pitcher would be assuming some risk. His 2013 season with the Red Sox came to an end following shoulder surgery on a torn labrum. He won’t be ready for Opening Day with a best-case scenario being a return to the major leagues in mid-May. He also pitched in just 19 games in 2012 due to reconstructive surgery on his right thumb.
Bailey had a number of other injuries over his career since winning the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2009. Over the Monster profiled those past woes, including DL stints for a forearm strain and trunk strain, after the Red Sox acquired Bailey from the Athletics prior to 2012.
Bailey pitched 30 games for the Red Sox in 2013 before undergoing season-ending surgery, posting a 3.77 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with what was easily a career-high 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings. He had a hot start to the season and briefly took over the closer role after injury and ineffectiveness plagued Joel Hanrahan. However, a 10.13 ERA in June cost Bailey the job.
If healthy, Bailey can still be a top reliever. With so many teams interested, it seems likely he will be able to find a nice deal from someone.
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