Colorado Rockies

One of the hardest decision to make is whether to pursue the Colorado closer.

The park is horrendous for pitchers and quickly ruins anyone who has any success elsewhere. Remember when Mike Hampton could pitch?

Last season Shawn Chacon racked-up 35 saves but with nightmare ratios. Not the 5.25 ERA and 1.50 WHIP that causes relievers to spend the entire season in the free agent pool, but an astounding horrific 7.11 ERA and 1.94 WHIP.

Some may counter that the addition of a Randy Johnson (2.60 ERA and 0.90 WHIP over 245.2 innings) provides enough to offset the horror of Chacon's ratios. Somewhat true. The combined ratios of the continuum extremes is 3.52 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Good numbers and certainly the ratio is enough the the top spot in an NL-only league.

However, RJ comes at a price tag of $35+ and that is to pay for 2.60/0.90 ratios not 3.52/1.11. A SP with those numbers should go between $20 and $30 in an NL-only keeper league.

But what about the cost of the closer? I have little doubt the Colorado closer would go for $17 in a draft assuming Todd Jones type ratios (4.50/1.50). The question becomes is 3.52/1.11/35 saves worth $50+.

I say, "Yes with equivocation!"

The equivocating arises from the fact you must get RJ in an environment where every other team in the league knows the enormous effects 240 innings of 2.60 ERA and 0.90 WHIP has on a team's ratios and wants RJ on their team.


The two most-frequently mentioned candidates are Chin-Hui Tsao and Brian Fuentes. With the worst-case scenario being Chacon's ratios and with the fair value of the Colorado closer being $17, what would anyone pay for either?

A few dollars? $10 apiece (a frequent salary of Rockies pitchers as most are plucked from the free agent pool) if nabbed late last season in hopes of winning the off-season closer sweepstakes?

One must also consider that most Colorado relievers are left in the pool because the best have ratios in the 4.50/1.40 and above range.

With no help from ratios and signifcant risk of damage to those ratios (If RJ's ratios can be damaged by 35% in ERA and 23% in WHIP, imagine what happens to a SP with slightly above average ones with fewer IP!), the Colorado closer must be cheap and a co-closing situation entails minimal bids.

A few dollars each with the likelihood the loser ends up in the free agent pool via waivers.