4 Sean Doolittle (Oakland Athletics)
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
2016 Stats: 27.2 IP, 2.60 ERA/3.34 FIP, 11.39 K/9; -0.22 WPA, 1.29 pLI, -0.12 Clutch
Career Stats: 220.1 IP, 2.98 ERA/2.39 FIP, 10.58 K/9; +4.95 WPA, 1.44 pLI, -0.87 Clutch
Age: 29
Handedness: Left
Contract Status: FA 2019
Now we’re looking at upper echelon guys who could begin to pilfer blue chip prospects. Doolittle is one of the premiere left-handed arms out of the pen in all of baseball. He’s in his age 29 season and would give any club acquiring him a full two and a half seasons before hitting free agency. The A’s realize by the time they are ready to compete Doolittle’s contract and competency may be simultaneously coming to an end, which is why the time to sell is now. Still, they’ll have another shot at grabbing a great package for him this winter, and again at next year’s deadline, so don’t expect them to be anything less than deliberate and demanding in negotiations.
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