The Lunatic Fringe

I’ve been looking for a downside to Mijares.  Other than the usual complaints about relievers being unreliable and all the usual prejudices for and against lefty specialists….I can’t figure it out.

• He’s cheap.  He’s making less than a million this year.  Even with arbitration, he’ll be making less than half of Affeldt’s salary until he’s a free agent.

• He’s not a free agent until after 2014.

• For a reliever, he’s been consistent.  Other than a hiccup in his 2011 season, he’s had a positive WAR and a sub 3.50 ERA in every season.

• He is definitely just a lefty specialist.  Over the past three seasons, he has a .625 OPS allowed against left-handed batters, but an .815 split against right-handed batters.  But then, that works for Bochy.

• He was non-tendered by Minnesota after 2011, when he had a 4.59 ERA, and a -0.2 WAR.  In 58 appearances, he had two blown saves.

That seems to be the only black mark.  In two seasons, he’s had two teams let him go for nothing.  At least with Minnesota, it came off of one bad season.  With Kansas City, the reason seems less obvious.  I’ve found an article suggesting that the Royals were afraid of his rising cost.  Maybe I’m coming at this with the view of one of the rich teams in baseball, but even if he makes $2.5 million next year, is that so bad?

But he was available for nothing.  And 26 other teams passed on him.  It wasn’t just playoff contenders.  A lot of teams could use a good cheap reliever for a few years, even the Marlins and Astros.

I don’t get it.  What do you make of it?