Boston Red Sox: Trade Targets to Bolster the Bullpen
By Nick Reid
Trade Targets to Bolster the Red Sox Bullpen
#3: Nick Anderson, Miami Marlins
You probably haven’t heard of Nick Anderson before given he only has 35 1/3 big league innings under his belt pitching for the uninspiring Miami Marlins, but he’s been very impressive in his rookie campaign. Sure, a 4.33 ERA and 1.30 WHIP is nothing to write home about – once you scratch below the surface, however, is when you realize he has high potential.
Anderson’s ERA is inflated by two brutal outings in May, and his 2.73 FIP reflects that. In his last 16 outings, he’s pitched to the tune of a 2.51 ERA, receiving roughly 1.4 days’ rest between outings. This reveals that he’s been much better since a couple of mid-May scuffles, and is someone who can be called upon every other night without hesitation.
Aside from his recent success, the most intriguing figure by far is his strikeout rate. For every 9 innings pitched, Anderson is striking out 14.5(!!) batters; that’s the 5th-best K/9 mark in the Majors among qualified relievers.
Nick Anderson is certainly a bullpen piece the Boston Red Sox should target. His .210 batting avg. against vs LHH is remarkable, and is especially useful when Boston faces their lefty-heavy rival New York Yankees. Plus, Derek Jeter is known for giving away players for little in return, thus perhaps Boston could get him for a steal especially in comparison to the more high-profile arms on the market.