Free-Agent Right-Handed Starting Pitchers (# 21-32)

Now, with these scouting reports of right-handed starting pitchers (RHSP) #21-32, the book is closed on the scouting reports for RHSP.

You will notice that a lot of the pitchers on this list have been injury frequently, and recently--which is a reason they are on this “last third” of the list, which is ranked according to whom I believe is the best available.

****On a side note, EqERA is the same as translated ERA.****


21. Paul Wilson (32): Signed with Cincinnati (2 years-$8.2 million) 2004 Statistics: 4.36 ERA, 183.7 IP, 192 Hits, 26 HR, 63 BB, 117 K, 24.6 VORP////Translated 2004 Statistics- 4.34 ERA, 9.1 H/9—1.2 HR/9—2.7 BB/9—5.0 K/9--////Career Statistics- 4.71 ERA, 895.3 IP, 961 Hits, 116 HR, 319 BB, 589 K////Translated Career statistics- 4.84 ERA, 9.2 H/9—1.1 HR/9—2.9 BB/9—5.3 K/9--////Career K/BB of 1.85/1--////2004 represented a career-best, ERA (4.36), and EqERA (4.34) for seasons in which Wilson has pitched 100+ innings////Has never pitched 200+ innings in entire 6-year career////Spent last four seasons in Cincinnati (moderate hitter’s park), and Tampa Bay (neutral park)////

22. Jose Lima (32): Signed with Royals, 1 year 2004 Statistics: 4.07 ERA, 170.3 IP, 178 Hits, 33 HR, 34 BB, 93 K, 28.0 VORP////Translated 2004 Statistics- 4.29 ERA, 9.9 H/9—1.5 HR/9—1.3 BB/9—4.6 K/9--////Career Statistics- 5.00 ERA, 1381.7 IP, 1539 Hits, 233 HR, 322 BB, 888 K////Translated Career statistics- 4.77 ERA, 9.8 H/9—1.4 HR/9—1.5 BB/9—5.2 K/9--////Career K/BB of 2.76/1--////2004 was first season in which Lima pitched 150+ innings since 2000 (Houston)////Each of the last three seasons, Lima's ERA has gotten better (02'-7.77, 03'-4.91, 04'-4.07), while his BB totals have gotten worse (02'-21, 03'-26, 04'-34)--which is mostly due an increase in IP in each of those years (02'-68.3, 03'-73.3, 04'-170.3), ////Spent last four seasons in four different cities: Kansas City (severe hitter's park when he pitched there), Los Angeles (severe pitcher's park), Detroit (moderate pitcher's park), and Houston (moderate hitter's park)////

23. Jamey Wright (30): Signed with Rockies, 1 yr/$550,000 2004 Statistics: 4.12 ERA, 78.7 IP, 82 Hits, 8 HR, 45 BB, 41 K, 11.4 VORP////Translated 2004 Statistics- 4.07 ERA, 8.7 H/9—0.8 HR/9—4.8 BB/9—4.1 K/9--////Career Statistics- 5.08 ERA, 1134.3 IP, 1241 Hits, 125 HR, 578 BB, 601 K////Translated Career statistics- 4.79 ERA, 9.6 H/9—0.8 HR/9—3.8 BB/9—4.5 K/9--////Career K/BB of 1.04/1--////Like Lima, has not pitched 150+ innings since 2001 (Milwaukee)////Has spent last four seasons in four different cities: Colorado (severe hitter's park), Kansas City (severe hitter's park when he pitched there), St. Louis (moderate hitter's park), and Milwaukee (neutral park)////

24. Ismael Valdez (31) Signed with Marlins, 1 year deal 2004 Statistics: 5.19 ERA, 170.0 IP, 202 Hits, 33 HR, 49 BB, 67 K, 3.9 VORP////Translated 2004 Statistics- 5.52 ERA, 10.5 H/9—1.6 HR/9—2.4 BB/9—2.9 K/9--////Career Statistics- 4.05 ERA, 1776.7 IP, 1808 Hits, 228 HR, 501 BB, 1146 K////Translated Career statistics- 4.29 ERA, 9.0 H/9—1.2 HR/9—2.3 BB/9—4.8 K/9--////Career K/BB of 2.29/1--////In each of the last three seasons Valdez's HR allowed (02'-19, 03'-23, 04'-33), Hits allowed (02'-135, 03'-148, 04'-202), translated H/9 (02'-7.8, 03'-10.3, 04'-10.5), translated BB/9 (02'-2.0, 03'-2.2, 04'-2.4), and translated K/9 (02'-4.0, 03'-3.3, 04'-2.9) have gotten worse////2004 represented a career-worst translated K/9 (2.9) for Valdez////Spent last four seasons in five different cities: Florida (severe pitcher's park), San Diego (severe pitcher's park), Texas (severe hitter's park), Anaheim (slight pitcher's park), and Seattle (severe pitcher's park)////

25. Todd Van Poppel (33): 2004 Statistics: 6.09 ERA, 115.3 IP, 136 Hits, 22 HR, 32 BB, 72 K, (-6.5) VORP////Translated 2004 Statistics- 5.98 ERA, 10.2 H/9—1.5 HR/9—2.2 BB/9—4.7 K/9--////Career Statistics- 5.58 ERA, 907.0 IP, 944 Hits, 143 HR, 461 BB, 711 K////Translated Career statistics- 5.18 ERA, 8.7 H/9—1.3 HR/9—4.2 BB/9—6.4 K/9--////Career K/BB of 1.54/1--////Has not pitched 140+ innings in his entire 11-year career////2004 represented a career-worst HR allowed (22), and Hits allowed for Van Poppel (136)////In each of the last three seasons, Van Poppel's translated BB/9 (02'-3.5, 03'-2.5, 04'-2.2) has gotten better////Has spent last four seasons in Cincinnati (moderate hitter’s park), Texas (severe hitter's park), and Chicago Cubs (slight pitcher's park)////

26. Kevin Appier (37): Signed minor league contract with Angels 2003 Statistics (Last season Appier pitched 100+ innings): 5.40 ERA, 111.2 IP, 120 Hits, 21 HR, 43 BB, 55 K, 6.7 VORP////Translated 2003 Statistics- 5.24 ERA, 9.3 H/9—1.6 HR/9—3.5 BB/9—4.2 K/9--////Career Statistics- 3.74 ERA, 2595.3 IP, 2425 Hits, 232 HR, 933 BB, 1994 K////Translated Career statistics- 3.63 ERA, 8.2 H/9—0.8 HR/9—2.6 BB/9—7.0 K/9--////Career K/BB of 2.14/1--////Only pitched 4.0 innings in 04'////Since Appier was basically out of baseball in 2004, there are no trends of his to identify, but in each of the three seasons before 2004 his ERA (01'-3.57, 02-3.92, 03-5.40), K's (01'-172, 02'-132, 03'-55), translated HR/9 (01'-.9, 02'-1.1, 03'-1.6), translated BB/9 (01'-2.5, 02'-2.9, 03'-3.5), and translated K/9 (01'-6.3, 02'-5.8, 03'-4.2) had all gotten worse////Spent last four seasons (excluding 2004) in Kansas City (severe hitter's park when he pitched there), New York Mets (severe pitcher's park), and Anaheim (slight pitcher's park)////

27. Hideo Nomo (27): Signed minor league contract with Devil Rays 2004 Statistics: 8.25 ERA, 84.0 IP, 105 Hits, 19 HR, 42 BB, 54 K, (-23.2) VORP////Translated 2004 Statistics- 7.76 ERA, 10.8 H/9—1.8 HR/9—4.2 BB/9—4.9 K/9--////Career Statistics- 4.05 ERA, 1871.3 IP, 1631 Hits, 232 HR, 853 BB, 1856 K////Translated Career statistics- 4.30 ERA, 7.7 H/9—1.1 HR/9—3.9 BB/9—7.7 K/9--////Career K/BB of 2.18/1--////Last year, because of injuries and ineffectiveness, was the first year in which Nomo did not have at least 150 IP////2004 represented a career-worst for Nomo in ERA (8.25), translated ERA (7.76), translated H/9 (10.8), translated HR/9 (1.8), translated K/9 (4.9), and--because of lack of innings--K's (54)////Has spent last four seasons in Los Angeles (severe pitcher's park), and Boston (slight hitter's park)////

28. Steve Sparks (39): Signed minor league deal with Padres 2004 Statistics: 6.04 ERA, 120.7 IP, 139 Hits, 18 HR, 45 BB, 57 K, (-11.8) VORP////Translated 2004 Statistics- 5.68 ERA, 9.5 H/9—1.1 HR/9—2.8 BB/9—3.9 K/9--////Career Statistics- 4.88 ERA, 1319.7 IP, 1451 Hits, 154 HR, 520 BB, 658 K////Translated Career statistics- 4.64 ERA, 9.3 H/9—0.9 HR/9—2.9 BB/9—4.4 K/9--////Career K/BB of 1.26/1--////The reason it is so hard to scout Steve Sparks is because he is a KNUCKLEBALL PITCHER--which is the main reason Spark's has no identifiable trends in the last three seasons////But, 2004 represented a career-worst ERA (6.04), translated ERA (5.69), and translated K/9 (3.9) for Sparks////Spent last four seasons Arizona (severe hitter's park), Oakland (neutral park), and Detroit (moderate hitter's park)////

29. Ryan Dempster (28): Option picked up by Cubs 2003 Statistics (Last season in which Dempster threw 100+ innings) 6.54 ERA, 115.7 IP, 134 Hits, 14 HR, 70 BB, 84 K, (-15.9) VORP////Translated 2003 Statistics- 6.27 ERA, 9.7 H/9—1.0 HR/9—5.1 BB/9—5.7 K/9--////Career Statistics- 4.99 ERA, 984.7 IP, 1024 Hits, 121 HR, 516 BB, 796 K////Translated Career statistics- 5.00 ERA, 9.1 H/9—1.0 HR/9—4.4 BB/9—6.1 K/9--////Career K/BB of 1.54/1--////In 2004 Dempster only had 20.7 IP for the Chicago Cubs because of injury////Before being basically out of baseball in 2004, Dempster's recent trends in ERA (01'-4.94, 02'-5.38, 03'-6.54), translated ERA (01'-5.16, 02'-5.40, 03'-6.27), translated H/9- (01'-9.2, 02'-9.6, 03'-9.7), total K's (01'-171, 02'-153, 03'-84) had all gotten worse////Dempster's recent trend in BB (01'-112, 02'-93, 03'-70) had gotten better before 2004////Has spent last four seasons in Cincinnati (moderate hitter's park), Florida (severe pitcher's park), and Chicago Cubs (slight pitcher's park)////

30. Andy Ashby (37): 2002 Statistics (Last season in which Ashby threw 100+ innings): 3.91 ERA, 181.7 IP, 179 Hits, 20 HR, 65 BB, 107 K, 26.0 VORP////Translated 2002 Statistics- 4.46 ERA, 9.4 H/9—1.0 HR/9—2.7 BB/9—4.7 K/9--////Career Statistics- 4.12 ERA, 1810.7 IP, 1857 Hits, 205 HR, 540 BB, 1173 K////Translated Career statistics- 4.46 ERA, 9.1 H/9—1.0 HR/9—2.3 BB/9—5.2 K/9--////Career K/BB of 2.17/1--////Three of the last four seasons, Ashby has not had more than 75 IP////Only pitched 2.0 innings in 2004////Since 2002 was last season with more than 100 IP, and in 2001 he only had 11.2 IP, there are no trends of Ashby's to identify////Spent last four season (mostly injured) in Los Angeles (severe pitcher's park), and San Diego (severe pitcher's park)////

31. Todd Ritchie (33): Signed minor league contract with Pirates 2002 Statistics (Last season in which Ritchie threw 100+ innings): 6.06 ERA, 133.7 IP, 176 Hits, 18 HR, 52 BB, 77 K, (-15.2) VORP////Translated 2002 Statistics- 6.31 ERA, 11.2 H/9—1.1 HR/9—3.2 BB/9—4.9 K/9--////Career Statistics- 4.71 ERA, 835.7 IP, 929 Hits, 104 HR, 262 BB, 516 K////Translated Career statistics- 4.75 ERA, 9.6 H/9—1.0 HR/9—2.3 BB/9—5.0 K/9--////Career K/BB of 1.97/1--////In 2004 Ritchie had only 8.0 IP, and in 2003 he only had 28.3////Before Ritchie basically left baseball (because of injury) after 2002, his recent trend in HR allowed (00'-26, 01'-23, 02'-18) had gotten better////Has spent last four seasons in Pittsburgh (neutral park), Chicago White Sox (slight hitter's park), Milwaukee (neutral park), and Tampa Bay (neutral park)////

32. Pedro Astacio (35): Signed one-year contract with Rangers 2002 Statistics (Last season in which Astacio threw 100+ innings): 4.79 ERA, 191.7 IP, 192 Hits, 32 HR, 63 BB, 152 K, 11.2 VORP////Translated 2002 Statistics- 5.04 ERA, 8.9 H/9—1.5 HR/9—2.6 BB/9—5.8 K/9--////Career Statistics- 4.61 ERA, 1979.7 IP, 2050 Hits, 260 HR, 658 BB, 1544 K////Translated Career statistics- 4.68 ERA, 8.9 H/9—1.2 HR/9—2.7 BB/9—5.8 K/9--////Career K/BB of 2.35/1--////Astacio only had 8.7 IP in 2004, and only 36.7 in 2003////Three of the last four seasons, Astacio has not had more than 40 IP////Since 2002 was Astacio's last season with more than 100 IP, and in 2001 he only had 28.7 IP, there are no trends of Astacio's to identify////Spent last four seasons (mostly injured) in Boston (slight hitter's park), New York Mets (severe pitcher's park), and Houston (moderate hitter's park)////

Next up, free agent left-handed starting pitchers (LHSP).

Thank you for reading.

Frank Bundy III

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to email me at frnkbndy@yahoo.com.