Think back to 2012. The pitcher that was first sent away to the minors, then was called up and pitched one of the most important games of the season. That pitcher was John Lannan and while the Nationals can’t have him back they can have someone very close to him. John Lannan is a career 4.12 ERA pitcher with a 4.7 K/9 and a 3.4 BB/9. Joe Saunders is a career 4.30 ERA pitcher with a 5.1 K/9 and a 2.8 BB/9. Very close to being the same guy and while John Lannan has already been signed to a minor league deal with the Mets, Joe Saunders remains a free agent. This is a little puzzling as pitchers less talented than him have signed and some have even been signed the major league deals.
Joe Saunders would be a good place holder for a bad team waiting for prospects to develop much like Livan Hernandez was in 2010 and 2011. Luckily for the Nationals teams like the Astros, Cubs, Marlins, or Twins have realized this. Saunders is good enough to deserve a major league deal worth around $1 or $2 million, but a team like the Nationals can’t offer him that while the lesser teams in the league have been unwilling. It is an interesting position Saunders finds himself in. He and his agent have a right to ask for a major league deal, but if one doesn’t exist as of February 27th then they are going to have to settle for a minor league deal, and that is where he makes sense for the Nationals.
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