The Maltese Falcons deep crop of Keeper options paid off again Thursday as the club struck a deal to make a major addition to their starting rotation. The club announced the acquisition of left-hander Robbie Ray (3/$5) from the Asti Grape Stompers for first baseman Anthony Rizzo (2/$17) and outfielder Mitch Haniger (3/$11).
Fresh off winning the AL Cy Young with Toronto in 2021, Robbie Ray joined Seattle on a five-year, $115 million deal helped his new team break a 20-year playoff drought. However, the left-hander saw his effectiveness drop across the board and finished 2022 with a 3.71 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 212:67 K:BB over 189 innings. He surrendered four runs in three frames during the wild-card round, and he then took a loss out of the bullpen in the ALDS without recording an out. It was an unceremonious end to the campaign as he surrendered 21 earned runs in his final 31 frames between the regular season and playoffs. Still, Ray had a solid 8.0 percent walk rate, which illustrates that his improved control from 2021 wasn't a one-year fluke. Now 31 years old, he likely won't be in contention for another Cy Young Award, but he should remain a strong mid-rotation piece for the Mariners if he can continue to keep the walks down which should provide elite value behind Zack Wheeler, Kevin Gausman and Nestor Cortes in the Falcons rotation.
Few clubs had a more pressing need than the Grapes on offense which this deal instantly helps solve.
Likely by design to take advantage of the short right field porch in Yankee Stadium, Anthony Rizzo hit flyballs at a career high 49% clip. It worked as he pulled 16 of his 32 long balls into the right field seats in the Bronx, though Rizzo's 18.4% strikeout rate was its highest since 2014. More flyballs helped sink Rizzo's BABIP to .216, the lowest mark of his career, though the resulting power fueled a 132 wRC+, his best since 2019. Rizzo's contact and hard-hit rates remain solid, but he's approaching the age where skills start to decline. He re-upped with the Yankees on a two-year deal with a buyout/club option for a third year, so the short porch will once again be a bullseye. The elephant in the room is Rizzo has been one of the most shifted players and with the new rules, he could benefit.
Mitch Haniger had a monster season in 2021 two years ahead of free agency, but he followed that up with the kind of year which reminded us of his fragility as he headed into free agency missing over 100 games with a high ankle sprain after fouling a ball off his instep in late June. The pre-injury numbers were mostly in line with non-2021 efforts but not the type of season a 31-year old pending free agent wanted to hit the open market with on his resume. The Giants still saw a clear everyday middle-of-the-order hitter, giving Haniger a three-year $43.5 million deal, and the fact that he is a righty on that type of deal should lock in playing time even on the platoon-happy Giants. It's actually a park upgrade for Haniger, as Oracle Park ranks as a slightly above-average park for righty hitters (per Baseball Savant), while T-Mobile Park in Seattle ranks second-worst for righties.
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