The Los Angeles Dodgers are already facing competition for one of their top free agents, Alex Vesia.
According to Kevin Barral of Fish on First, the Marlins are targeting Alex Vesia as a free agent as they hope to upgrade their bullpen, specifically looking for a lefty.
Advertisement
Along with Vesia, San Diego Padres free agent Adrian Morejon and Chicago White Sox southpaw Sean Newcomb are two other options.
The Marlins have a ton of right-handed options on their staff, but they lack southpaw options, and they could end up bringing in a couple of lefties.
Vesia has been one of the steadiest relievers in baseball, with few dips in form, especially over the last three years.
He has a stellar 2.45 ERA over the last three seasons and 4.3 bWAR, avoiding any kind of major injuries and pitching 184 innings over that time frame.
His fastball velocity has declined over the last few years, but his funky arm slot and outlier fastball movement mean he can overcome any loss of steam.
Free agents can be volatile, given how inconsistent bullpen pitching can be and how reliant some pitchers are on velocity, but Vesia is a sure thing that appeals to contenders and rebuilding teams alike.
Advertisement
The Marlins lie somewhere in the middle, not outright bad, but also lacking the top-end players and production to really make a push.
However, adding a stabilizing force like Vesia raises a team’s floor, and it can help add meaningful wins to a team that needs them.
The issue that teams like the Marlins have is that bullpen arms are so valuable, and Vesia is already valued at eight figures per year.
The Dodgers can afford to keep a player who has done so much for the franchise and is projected to continue providing that kind of value.
LA seems to be letting Vesia’s market play out, then possibly striking a deal that rewards their long-time contributor.
