Left-handed reliever Craig Breslow held a showcase on Monday that was attended by 13-16 teams. Among those teams was the New York Mets according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Rosenthal reported that the Mets had two officials at the showcase and that scouts were impressed with Breslow’s new lower arm angle.
The Mets are in the market for a lefty to potentially fill the void of free agent Jerry Blevins signing elsewhere. Breslow struggled mightily in 2016 with the Marlins sporting a 4.50 ERA and 1.79 WHIP in 14 innings.
Here is video from the workout. Seems likely given recent struggles that Breslow would only command a minor league deal.
Original Report – Jan 16
Journeyman reliever Craig Breslow will be holding a showcase on January 23rd. This is newsworthy because at 36 years-old, he has remade himself.
From 2014 to 2016, Breslow went 2-10 with a 4.93 ERA (5.16 FIP), striking out 90 batters in 133.1 innings. It was after he pitched only 14 innings for the Marlins last year he knew a change had to be made.
With the help of a “Raspodo device,” the lefty has worked at his craft since last season. The device, which he downloaded on his iPad, tracks velocity, total spin, spin efficiency, and tilt axis. The most important change in his mechanics has been the dropping of his arm angle, producing movement on his pitches described as “sick” by a scout.
Since 2005, Breslow has gone 22-29 with a 3.35 ERA (4.06 FIP). In 535.1 innings he has struck out 419 batters and walked 212. However, if he has reinvented himself, his past statistics might not speak much to his future success. He could end up being a very valuable reliever to the team that takes a chance on him, possibly filling the role of a lefty specialist.
The Mets will be attending his showcase, along with the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, and more.
