Brett Anderson returns to Oakland; the Mets’ and Cardinals’ logjams; five pitcher breakout candidates
FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Brett Anderson has averaged 2.2 WAR for every 150 innings pitched, the problem is just keeping him on the mound to pitch. The Athletics signed him to a small, one-year, $1.5 million deal for him to hopefully pitch a full season for a relatively depleted, non-Sean Manaea headed rotation, so they’re betting on that 150.
Baseball Prospectus | Matthew Trueblood ($): Two teams—the Mets and Cardinals—have an incredible amount of offensive depth, each possessing six players projected to hit above 103 DRC+. But because Rob Manfred instituting a National League DH, no one on the outside is clearing up their logjams. The Mets will have to work out playing time betwen Jed Lowrie and Todd Frazier, and the Cardinals will have to work out how much Dexter Fowler and Tyler O’Neill get playing time, to name a couple.
The Athletic | Eno Sarris ($): Great pitchers like Jake Arrieta and Corey Kluber had their great stuff before the results came with it, so there are pitchers who have the stuff right now but without the results. That could be Luke Weaver with his great velocity and command, or Joe Musgrove with his deadly changeup.
