After looking at the top 25 starting pitchers, Bleacher Report’s look at the top 100 players available in the 2016-17 offseason now moves to the bullpen.
We’ll look at 15 relief pitchers who are either free agents or trade candidates pulled from rumors and/or plausible speculation. Since relievers have limited roles, their scoring system adds up to 85 possible points rather than the usual 100.
- Talent Outlook: Out of 60. The idea is to look at how each pitcher has performed and how his performance will or won’t change in the future. Think of a score of 30 out of 60 as a league-average reliever, with 60 out of 60 essentially being Andrew Miller.
- Durability Outlook: Out of 15. This is a look at how durable guys are going to be based on their past workloads and injury histories. Think of 15 out of 15 as no concern whatsoever, whereas a seven or eight out of 15 says a healthy future is a toss-up.
- Value Outlook: Out of 10. This is a discussion about the contracts or trade packages guys are going to command and about whether they could justify it. Think of five out of 10 as a fair deal, with zero out of 10 being a megabust and 10 out of 10 being a megasteal.
In the event of ties, the nod will be given to the player we’d rather sign or trade for.
Along the way, you’ll find plenty of links to relevant data at Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs, Brooks Baseball, Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Savant.
Step into the box whenever you’re ready.