Trade Profiles: Joaquin Benoit

Picture Credit: fansided.com

Earlier this week, the Pirates were connected to San Diego Padres starting pitcher Ian Kennedy and I wrote a trade profile on him yesterday.  Last night, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports connected the Pirates to a San Diego Padre pitcher, this time it was set up man and the team's new closer after the Huston Street deal, Joaquin Benoit.  Heyman also noted that the Pirates were interested in Joakim Soria, who I also profiled days ago.

tigers, pirates, indians eye padres' benoit, but trade "up in air." http://t.co/3yki8wbIY2

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) July 21, 2014

Now let's take a peak at Benoit's stats.  He is currently striking out a ton with his K/9 of  10.40 and he's not walking many with a BB/9 of 2.43.  His WHIP is a stellar 0.84.  Finally, Benoit's ERA is a sparkling 1.99. But look deeper at his FIP and xFIP.  He is in line to regress to the tune of a 2.60 and 2.98 ERA.  That is mostly because he has an unsustainable stranded runner rate.  That likely regression is just one reason I am skeptical of Benoit and his otherwise stellar stats.

Since this is my third trade profile on a Padre pitcher you should know by now that Petco Park is very pitcher friendly and one should look at the splits home and away to see if the pitcher is just succeeding because of the ball park.  That was not the case with the other two pitchers but it is for Benoit.  His home ERA is 1.14 while his ERA away from Petco is 3.18.  Those splits will make any team take pause.

Benoit also has more problems aside from his on field stats.  He is owed $8 million next season on top of his prorated $8 million this season.  He also has an option for $8 million in 2016.  That is WAY too much money to pay for Benoit.  Also, the Padres want a similar haul to what they got for Huston Street.  And that was a lot.  Add to the fact that they would have to eat some salary and the Pirates would have to give up a very good prospect to get him.  Benoit is also 36 years old.  And we all saw how age affected Jason Grilli this season.  Old relievers are volatile.  Benoit may look like he's worth the money he's making now but next year he may not.  Do you really want to be stuck in that situation if you're the Pirates?

There is only one way I see the Pirates getting Joaquin Benoit in any deal.  Only if it's a package deal with Ian Kennedy.  It could just require a minor upgrade in a proposed Kennedy deal.  The Padres can eat cash and get one more better prospect that they wouldn't get otherwise.  But if the Pirates are going after Benoit exclusively, he's just not a fit for the team.  It's just not the style of the front office to go after a reliever like Benoit and I would be shocked if they landed him.