When the Astros inked Pedro Báez to a two-year, $12.5 million contract in the offseason, the common thought was the right-hander would help bridge the gap in the bullpen to Ryan Pressly. Considering how Báez has thrown at least 51 innings from 2015-19 with an ERA never higher than 3.35, his signing had the appearance of a worthwhile acquisition. While his overall numbers outside ERA did take a hit in 2020, the nature of that shortened season made it difficult to evaluate where exactly Báez was at fully. If there was a red flag last winter, it lied in how hard — or lack thereof — Báez was throwing in recent seasons.
Decreased Velocity May Limit Pedro Báez’s Usage
