(Image source: Flickr)
The Baltimore Orioles have certainly been busy of late, signing high-profile free agents like Justin Duchscherer and Vladimir Guerrero in an attempt to get out of the AL East cellar.
Monday, they added yet another veteran, journeyman righthanded reliever David Riske.
Riske, 35, pitched in 23 games last year for the Brewers, and only made one appearance in 2009, so he’s quite a bit removed from his last full season.
Once an excellent middle reliever in Cleveland in the early part of the last decade (most notably 2003), Riske hasn’t done much to distinguish himself since: his WAR from 2005-2010 is exactly 0, and he hasn’t posted a positive WAR since 2007, when he pitched for the Royals.
However, it would be foolish to dismiss Riske’s credentials based on WAR. After all, FanGraphs’ WAR is based primarily on FIP, and Riske has shown a consistent ability to have a lower ERA than FIP over his career, with a 3.67 ERA and 4.44 FIP. This is largely due to a career .272 batting average on balls in play, and since Riske’s been around for over a decade, it’s probably safe to conclude that’s for real. It is worth noting, though, that he hasn’t displayed the ability to have a low BABIP since 2007.
Riske’s had arm problems over the past few years, and he’s lost a couple of ticks on his fastball, now sitting at 86-88 mph. A two-pitch pitcher, Riske uses a splitter when he’s not throwing his fastball, and that hasn’t found much success either. He’s had to throw it more and more, however, as his velocity has declined.
It’s difficult to see too much upside in David Riske, but Baltimore could always use pitching, and since Riske’s on a minor league deal, there’s absolutely no risk (no pun intended). The veteran righthander will need to show he’s got some sort of solid repertoire in order to stick, but stranger things have happened than a 35-year-old snapping into his 31-year-old form.