Yankees News & Notes: Logan signs one-year deal, Robertson submits salary figure
By Jimmy Kraft
Boone Logan, the Yankees former LOOGY who graduated to face righties in 2012, has joined fellow pitchers, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, in avoiding arbitration yesterday. It’s Logan’s final year before hitting free agency when the 2013 season concludes. Also, the Yankees “Get out of jail free” card, David Robertson, submitted his salary figure (the Yanks did too) as negotiations begin to bring him back to the Bronx.
Logan’s a solid bullpen arm and he’s still young (Image: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)
According to the AP, Logan signed a one-year deal worth $3.15 million to avoid arbitration. The figure is a raise of $1.25 million over his 2012 salary. Last season Logan pitched to a 3.74 ERA (3.70 xFIP) while accumulating a 7-2 record with one save in 80 appearances. There are a few red flags including his groundball rate dipping to a career-low 38.4% after hovering around ~45% throughout his short career. Also, his HR/FB spiked to 11.1%, which is almost a 3% increase over his 2011 total. However, those two numbers could be attributed to him pitching to more right-handed batters and a jump in innings pitched (almost a 33% increase for the two years prior)
Last season Logan faced 106 right-handed batters (as opposed to only 67 in 2011 and 78 in 2010) and held them to a .230/.371/.417 slash line as opposed to a .230/.293/.372 line against lefties. As expected his xFIP ballooned against righties compared to lefties (4.76 vs. 2.92). His walk rate also increased quite sharply when facing opposite handed batters (17% vs. 7.5%). It’s not totally unexpected that he struggled against righties, but those numbers look pretty gaudy.
Another bullpen arm is due for a raise in salary, as David Robertson has submitted his salary figures, and the Yankees countered with theirs, according to Jon Heyman. Robertson posted a $3.55 million figure, while the Yankees countered with $2.85 million. The 27-year-old still has one arbitration-eligible year left and will become a free agent after the 2014 season.
Robertson has earned the nickname Houdini for escaping seemingly impossible odds of runners scoring. In high leverage situations he held a 2.90 xFIP in 2012, and with men in scoring position it increased to a 3.37 mark, which is very respectable. His greatest asset is getting a strikeout, and in high leverage situations he struck out nearly 30% of the 67 batters he faced. With men in scoring position he K’d 25.4% of the hitters he faced.
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs