For a supposedly powerhouse division, the AL East has seen their top teams employ a whole lot of the “get as many arms as possible and hope a few work out” approach this season. The latest addition: the Yankees signing former Expos/Nationals, Marlins, Mets, and Twins reliever Luis Ayala, who pitched for three Triple-A teams in 2010.
Ayala, 33, enjoyed a good run with the Expos in his first two MLB seasons, but lost the ability to induce a large amount of grounders after that; he’s basically been a fungible relief arm ever since.
The Mexican righthander relies on a fastball/slider mix that’s as generic as they come: the heater’s around 90, the slider in the low 80’s. He hasn’t posted an MLB ERA below 5.00 since 2007, and his FIP has trended upward every year since 2004.
Ayala showed little in Triple-A last year that offered hope he’s back in form, with a 6.42 ERA and 31/18 K/BB in 47 2/3 innings. He also somehow managed to lose ten games in just 36 relief appearances; while I put zero stock in W-L, especially for relievers, that is pretty telling. Obviously, it won’t get any easier for a righthanded flyball pitcher in Yankee Stadium.
Ayala’s just in on a minor league deal, so there’s little risk, and we shouldn’t forget that he posted some pretty useful numbers from 2003-07. Still, it’s hard to imagine him succeeding for the Yankees in 2011, not that it’s a big deal if he doesn’t.