Oakland Athletics
Designated RP Jerry Blevins for assignment. [5/23]
Recalled SP Josh Outman from Triple-A Sacramento. [5/23]
Blevins is a good example of why teams should never invest too heavily in left-handed relievers. The Cubs drafted him in 2004 during the 17th round and the Athletics acquired him in July 2007 along with Rob Bowen for Jason Kendall and cash. Nearly four years and 140 big league appearances later, Blevins has a career line against lefties of .237/.289/.438, but also finds himself either on the way off the A’s 40-man roster or onto another team.
Blevins peripherals this season are poor (true anytime you walk 12 batters unintentionally in 14 1/3 innings), but the A’s could stand to be more patient if it was just a sudden spike in free passes. PITCHf/x data has Blevins tossing his fastball almost two miles per hour slower than his career norm, which adds to the eyebrow raising surrounding his control problems. Speculating about a player’s h...
Original Story:
