LHP Tony Watson, $1,750,000
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Tony Watson is a solid option for a late inning lefty. Not only did he boast a very impressive 10-2 record for a relief pitcher in 2014, but Watson did an excellent job of managing the eighth inning as a setup man to Pirates closer Mark Melancon.
He worked 51 innings in the eighth last season, allowing only 11 earned runs total for a 1.94 ERA in that particular frame. Watson was even better in the seventh and ninth innings of games. Across 20 IP in the seventh, he has a 1.35 ERA and an ERA of zero in five innings pitched in the ninth.
Despite his impressive overall ERA of 1.63 in 2014, it was not due to a lack of work. Watson led the National League in appearances with 78 games and worked the sixth most amount of innings pitched with 77.1. Now 29, the southpaw has successively lowered his ERA from 3.38 in 2013 to 2.39 in 2013 to last season’s 1.63, the 10th best by any reliever who qualified in 2014.