FS Faux Winter Meetings: the Seattle Mariners Re-Sign Joe Beimel

Having traded for Scott Van Slyke, and Carlos Gomez (details tomorrow morning at 11 AM) as well as signing Francisco Liriano, the Seattle Mariners faux GM– Trader Dan Hughes– is at it again at the faux Winter Meetings.

This time, as no major shocking or surprise, GM Dan has faux re-signed veteran reliever Joe Beimel to a 1-year/$1.75 million contract with a $2 million mutual player and team option for 2016.

From faux GM Dan himself on the signing:

"Joe was an integral part of our bullpen’s success in 2014 and it only made sense to bring him back this season.We know Joe had expressed interest in remaining with our club and we are happy to be able to have worked something out."

Joe Beimel, 37, is a 12-year MLB vet who missed the 2012 and 2013 seasons with Tommy John Surgery. With a Minor League deal in 2014 with a Spring Training invite, Beimel found his way into the Mariners Major League bullpen and cemented himself as a go-to left-handed specialist.

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Here are his numbers:

Joe Beimel:

2014 season: 56 games played, 45.0 innings pitched, 2.20 ERA. 12 runs allowed, 11 earned runs. 14 walks and 25 strikeouts. 4 home runs allowed. 1.18 WHIP and a 1.1 WAR.

Career (12 seasons): 623 games played (23 games started), 632.2 innings pitched, 4.07 ERA. 256 walks, 357 strikeouts. 1.46 WHIP.

Steamer 2015 projections: 10.0 innings pitched, 4.04 ERA, 4.18 FIP.

Steamer is not being generous to the veteran reliever in 2015. I’m not entirely sure why the project only 10.0 innings pitched, but I would guess it has to do with his history of injuries and the potential wear and tear that 2014 had on his elbow.

Even if Beimel meets in the middle between his 2014 numbers and his projected 2015 numbers, he’d pitch somewhere around 37.0 innings with a sub-4.00 ERA. With those numbers, it’s not inconceivable that Beimel could be worth somewhere between 0.3-0.5 WAR. And with the $6-7 million going rate per WAR in this day in age, those numbers would be right on line with the money he’s being paid in this faux free agent signing.

Joe Beimel wanted to be a Mariner once again, saying Seattle was his favorite team he’s played for and the most fun he’s had in years. It only makes sense that faux GM Dan Hughes would go out and re-sign him.

So, will the real GM, trader Jack Z, go out and do likewise? Do you think the real Mariners front office should follow Dan’s suit and re-sign Joe Beimel?