San Francisco Giants – Tony Watson, Relief Pitcher
We talked a little while ago about how one of the weaknesses in the New York bullpen is the lack of a matchup lefty and suggested Tony Sipp as a potential fit after the season. Sipp might be staying put in Houston but the Yankees could still solve their issue by plucking reliever Tony Watson from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline this year.
Now, a look at his splits will paint a weird picture for batting average against because it’s actually higher for lefty hitters. That appears to be nothing more than a fluke because the wOBA for lefty hitters against Watson is still just .233, which is an excellent number for a pitcher. His strikeout rate against lefties is also just a hair over 30 percent. Here’s possibly the best metric for a lefty specialist for the Yankees – Watson only gives up a 14.1 fly ball percentage to left-handed hitters.
It could be a little awkward for the Giants to trade Watson after just signing him to a three year deal in the off-season. However, he was signed with the intention of San Francisco being a contender at least in the National League West if nothing else. While they are to a small extent, they are in the jumbled mess of teams just looking to squeak into a second Wild Card spot. One pro week could turn them into sellers and Watson would be a great fit for New York if that happens.