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MLB Free Agent Clay Buchholz Could Prove to be a Bargain

By Dylan Smith

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 2: Clay Buchholz #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, September 2, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 2: Clay Buchholz #32 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, September 2, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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Clay Buchholz had a terrific bounce-back season in 2018. The veteran righty pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks but is now an MLB free agent.

I never thought I would say this, but a team NEEDS to sign Clay Buchholz. The oft-injured right-handed starting pitcher rebounded in a stint with the Arizona Diamondbacks and posted some solid numbers. Buchholz is now an MLB free agent, looking for his next opportunity.

After missing nearly the entire 2017 season, Buchholz began 2018 with the Kansas City Royals. After spending April in the minor leagues, the righty became a free agent after exercising an opt-out clause. Soon after, the Arizona Diamondbacks found themselves in need of starting pitching, so they turned to the veteran, Buchholz.

Throughout the remainder of the season, Clay Buchholz became a valuable piece of the Diamondbacks rotation. The righty produced his best season since 2013. Buchholz was healthy and he proved that he still has the ability to be an effective MLB starting pitcher.

Throughout the season, Buchholz made 16 starts, posting an ERA of 2.01 over 98.1 innings pitched. This resulted in 3.0 bWAR, a WHIP of 1.037 and an ERA+ of 215. Looking deeper into his stats, Buchholz produced these numbers while pitching with diminished stuff, as compared to his career averages.

According to BrooksBaseball, each of Buchholz’s pitches were down in velocity to career-low levels. Even with this repertoire, Buchholz still managed to find success.

To me, this shows that the righty has improved his “overall” ability as a pitcher. He was able to do more while having less to work with. Buchholz exhibited this as his BB/9 and K/9 were at their best levels since 2015. How could you pass on the opportunity to bring this production onto your team?

It all comes down to health. Like many pitchers, Clay Buchholz comes with baggage.

As mentioned, Buchholz missed nearly all of 2017 while recovering from a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm. In September, the righties bounce-back campaign ended prematurely as he suffered a flexor strain in the same forearm.

On a good note, this injury did not require surgery and Buchholz is set to be healthy for Spring Training.

The righty discussed his injury back in September, via MLB.com.

"“Last year, it pulled the bone off my elbow,” Buchholz said. “It’s not that. It’s more muscle. It’s probably some fatigue I’m dealing with.”"

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This injury history could be problematic, but it should also allow teams to acquire the 34-year old at a cheap price. For a club looking for starting pitching depth, allocating $2-3 million to Clay Buchholz should be a no brainer. The risk would be well worth the potential reward as the righty has shown that he still has effective innings left in his right arm.

Earlier in the offseason, the Oakland Athletics expressed interest in Buchholz. Oakland seems like a logical landing spot, but he could fit well onto a number of other clubs. The Cincinnati Reds have worked to add starting pitching depth, why not take a flyer on Buchholz? Did the Los Angeles Angels make a mistake by paying Matt Harvey $11 million, when a pitcher like Buchholz was still on the market? Could the veteran righty find himself back in Philadelphia?

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Time will tell, but Clay Buchholz could prove to be a massive MLB free agent bargain in 2019.

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