Ranking the best free agent pitching targets
Sep 3, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher
Edinson Volquez(36) throws to a St. Louis Cardinals batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Volquez has been a man on a six-year mission. A highly touted prospect, he was acquired in the package that sent Josh Hamilton to Texas. In his first full season as a Red, he achieved startling success to the tune of 206 K’s, a 17-6 record, 3.21 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a whopping 4.5 WAR. He followed this debut with two very similar seasons both of which were stunningly mired in mediocrity, the first of which ended in Tommy John surgery midseason, while the second included a 50-game suspension for the use of performance enhancing drugs. In his final season in Cincinatti, he regressed further, notching a 5.71 ERA and -1.5 WAR.
He was then sent to the pitcher friendly PetCo Park, as part of the package that brought Mat Latos back from San Diego. He made some improvements in his first season with the Padres, accumulating a 4.14 ERA, the best number he had put up since his rookie year, but again regressed to the point of his release by San Diego. After a brief, unproductive stint with the Dodgers, he was given a prove-it contract from the Pirates this past offseason, and boy did he prove it.
Volquez set new career marks in ERA and WHIP, with a 3.04 and 1.23, and put up 2.6 WAR. Pittsburgh has become a career revitalization stop for pitchers in recent years so it remains to be seen if he can replicate those numbers or if he will again regress. To me, he is a little too risky coming off arguably the best year of his career to go along with a history of regression. Somebody will give this man a raise this offseason but I would be surprised (and a little concerned) if it was the Red Sox.