Chicago Cubs: Possible free agent southpaw reliever options

Chicago Cubs: The former Met will probably be looking for a new home since they signed former Cub Justin Wilson.

Jerry Blevins is a guy who, despite struggling in 2018, has had a very solid career. The 35-year old has a career 3.52 ERA, 3.66 FIP, 1.23 WHIP, 3.5 BB/9 and 9.3 K/9 in 463 innings. Looking at the numbers last year may be startling, but looking at the whole picture makes him an interesting option.

2018 he pitched to a 4.85 ERA, 4.97 FIP, 1.4 WHIP and 8.6 K/9 in 42 2/3 innings. Those numbers are way off the numbers he put up in the previous two seasons. In 2016-2017 he put up a combined 2.87 ERA, 3.09 FIP, 1.3 WHIP and 12.0 K/9 in 91 innings. He put up a cumulative 3.19 FIP and 1.12 WHIP from 2013-2017 in 213 1/3 innings. Overall the resume is good and if he did not have a down year in 2018 he may have already been picked up by now.

The main worry with him is that he had a down year at age 34 and he is turning 35. Is the tank emptying or was it simply a down year? That remains to be seen in 2019, but his track record suggests he can bounce back seeing as he has had multiple years of success.