The top left-handed starting pitcher is off the free agent market. Scott Kazmir has inked a two-year deal with the Oakland Athletics worth a reported $22 million.
Kazmir had a healthy year in 2013 for the first time since 2010, and he impressed with the Indians. The 158 innings that Kazmir tossed this year were his most since 2007, and not coincidentally, he also posted his highest fWAR since 2007. Kazmir posted a 4.04 ERA, struck out 162 hitters, and walked 47 after signing a minor league deal with Cleveland last winter.
Kazmir, who will turn 30 in January, was awesome in the second half for the Indians. After the All-Star Break, he threw 72 innings, pitched to a 3.38 ERA, struck out 82, and walked only 17. His 2.1 fWAR in the second half was 11th-best out of all pitchers in baseball, better than guys like Doug Fister, Chris Sale, Zack Greinke, James Shields, and Madison Bumgarner, among others.
He obviously comes with a lot of risk, given his injury history. But there's hope, given a strong 2013. Kazmir's velocity crept up as the season went along, topping out at an average of 94 in September. Kazmir missed a chunk of April due to a strained muscle in his ribcage, and he missed one start in the middle of the year due to back spasms – but neither of those injuries nagged at him all year, and neither was related to his left arm.
Oakland is now in a very interesting position after welcoming Kazmir into the fold. You can likely end the possibility of veteran Bartolo Colon coming back to the A's, and Brett Anderson and his $8 million exercised club option will also likely be traded, leaving the A's with a rotation of Kazmir, Jarrod Parker, Sonny Gray, Dan Straily, and AJ Griffin, with Tommy Milone hanging around as insurance. At $8 million in 2014, the 25-year old Anderson could be a nice fall back option for a team that lost out on Kazmir. Combine his relatively low salary for next year with a $12 million option for 2015, and maybe Anderson could provide more value relative to his salary over the next two years than Kazmir.
But like with Kazmir, health is an issue with Anderson. He's made 20 starts in a season just once, and has thrown a total of 163 innings over the last three seasons while dealing with Tommy John surgery and the related recovery as well as a sprained ankle and broken foot that cost Anderson most of four months of the 2013 season.
Business has just picked up in the free agent market, and I'd expect the bidding for the remaining top tier free agent pitchers to get ferocious after this signing, along with those of Jason Vargas, Ricky Nolasco, and Phil Hughes over the last week and a half. Ubaldo Jimenez and Matt Garza have to be salivating at this point.
