
Drew Storen
2016 Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners
2016 SIERA: 3.51
2016 WHIP: 1.335
2016 K/9: 8.4
It wasn’t very long ago that Drew Storen was one of the premier relief pitchers in baseball. The former first-round pick thrived early in his career with the Nationals, putting up a 3.09 FIP, a 3.02 ERA and 95 saves from 2010 to 2015.
Storen’s best season came in 2011 when he notched 43 saves while pitching to a shiny 2.75 SIERA in 75.1 innings. The reliever also turned in a minuscule 1.12 ERA back during the 2014 campaign.
Despite struggling in Toronto to begin the year, the reliever is still just one season removed from closing 29 games and notching a career-low 2.67 SIERA in 2015.
After failing to stick with the Blue Jays, Storen moved to another Wild Card contender in the Seattle Mariners. He experienced a turnaround in the Pacific Northwest after seeing his FIP balloon to 5.01 with the Blue Jays.
In 18.1 innings for Seattle, the ex-National posted a 3.44 ERA and a 2.77 FIP. He also posted respectable strikeout numbers (7.9 punch outs per nine innings) while limiting both walks and home runs. Storen allowed just 1.5 walks per nine frames, and 0.5 home runs per nine innings with the M’s.
Should Drew Storen continue to pitch like he did with the Mariners and Nationals, he’d be an excellent addition to the Detroit Tigers.
Next: Why Justin Verlander Should Win the Cy Young Award
Like many on this list, he could serve as an insurance policy to closer Francisco Rodriguez. Similar to Romo, the 29-year-old could serve as K-Rod’s top setup man.