Let's play a little game. You choose which Door you want. Click the comments to see which adventure you chose.
Door #1
28-year old LHP. Under team control through 2018 with team options in 2019 and 2020. Career 20.9 WAR through 160 starts. Career 3.44 ERA / 1.24 WHIP. Career 3.49 FIP. 3.11 K:BB ratio. 38.4% Groundball rate in 2017, down from 40.4% in 2016, which was in turn down from 47.1% in 2015. Three straight seasons of 4.8+ fWAR. 24 walks through 57.1IP in 2017. Career 20.0% K-rate, 6.4% BB-rate. 7th in pitcher fWAR since the beginning of the 2013 season.
Door #2
28-year old RHP. Under team control through 2019 with team options in 2020 and 2021. Career 11.0 bWAR through 135 starts. Career 3.53 ERA / 1.20 WHIP. Career 3.46 FIP. 2.95 K:BB ratio. 46.3% Groundball rate in 2017, down from 47.8% in 2016. 5.2 fWAR in 2015, 3.1 fWAR in 2016. Career 25.1% K-rate, 8.1% BB-rate. Currently posting a career-high 36.6% Hard-Hit Rate. 18th in pitcher fWAR since the beginning of the 2013 season (Dallas Keuchel is 17th).
Door #3
26-year old RHP. Under team control through 2019. Career 11.2 bWAR through 103 starts. Career 3.20 ERA / 1.19 WHIP. Career 3.03 FIP. 3.68 K:BB ratio. Career 48.2% Groundball rate, 50.3% in 2017 - his Major-League best. 12.5% HR/FB rate in 2017, up from 6.8% in 2016. One career season over 2.5 fWAR. Currently has a 22.2% K-rate, 5.3% BB-rate. 20th in pitcher fWAR since the beginning of the 2013 season.
Which door do you give up 5-6 prospects to go through?
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
