The Los Angeles Dodgers have targeted multiple relief pitchers over recent weeks, and one consideration was re-signing Joe Blanton. Another name that appeared on the hot stove was former San Francisco Giants closer Sergio Romo.
On Friday, Romo reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the Dodgers. Though, it soon after was contradicted, as a second team remains in the picture to potentially sign the 33-year-old.
Once the nauseous feeling passes, it may be time to examine the two righties and determine who fits better on the Dodgers roster. Blanton doesn’t have a long track record to go on as a reliever, so he’s harder to project.
Last year, he posted a 2.48 ERA and fWAR of almost 1.0. But Blanton looked fatigued at the end of the season, which was understandable given he more than doubled his career high in games pitched.
Meanwhile, Romo missed a significant amount of time last year with a flexor tendon strain in his pitching elbow. He fared well when healthy, minus a few too many home runs allowed. Romo also has a much longer track record and was a dominant relief pitcher in 2015, posting a 1.8 fWAR.
For reference, Kenley Jansen’s fWAR in 2015 was 1.7. Digging deeper, Blanton had the edge last season in FIP, 3.33 to 3.80, because of Romo’s bloated home run rate. But the latter held the edge in both walk and strikeout percentages.
Deserved Run Average, Baseball Prospectus’ new pitching stat that takes into account a multitude of factors to determine a pitcher’s fair responsibility for runs he allowed to score, had Romo ahead of Blanton as well, 3.64 to 4.36.
Both Blanton and Romo are fly-ball pitchers, which means they must tread cautiously in order to fall susceptible to the home-run ball. Last season, Blanton allowed 0.83 home runs per nine innings, and 0.79 the year prior.
Romo’s home run rates have varied greatly from year to year. In 2016, his HR/9 was 1.47, while in 2015 it was 0.47. Which Romo would the Dodgers get? It’s difficult to say.
So, who’s better? Well, it depends on what you want. Both pitchers lean heavily on their sliders, and neither has overpowering velocity. But, both also have their questions.
Will Blanton continue allowing a slew of fly balls but few home runs? Was Romo’s regression last season due to his injury or due to his age? Do you want Blanton, who can give you more than three outs and pitch to lefties? Do you want Romo, who’s less volatile but could be a right-handed specialist?
Given his track record and the number of lefties in the Dodgers’ bullpen, Romo seems like a logical choice. However, it’s hard to ignore Blanton’s contributions to last year’s team. While cases could be made for both, either one would help the Dodgers in 2017.
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