Scouting Report Kevin Correia

The 30-year RHP is in his 9th major league season, 3rd organization (formerly with the Padres), who signed a 2 year, 8 million dollar contract with the Pirates this off-season. He's 43-47 for his career, and has bounced back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen (116 starts, 127 relief appearances). His K/9 rate is 6.4 and BB/9 is 3.45, with a career ERA of 4.47 and 1.42 WHIP. On the surface it seems like he's a league average pitcher. But when looking deeper, he started to turn the corner in 2009 when he finished with a 3.91 ERA, and was throwing well at the start of last year until his younger brother was killed in a hiking accident in mid-June, and his performance thereafter suffered (understandably so).

Correia throws 90-92 mph fastball 48% of the time, an 88 mph cutter (15%), 85 mph slider (11%), 85 mph change (10%), and a 77 mph curve (15%). His best pitch is his slider, and he has had some success with his fastball in the past. This year he's getting a paltry 5.3% swing and miss, and he's only throwing 46% of his pitches in the strike zone. With the swing and miss % that low, it's understandable why his K/9 rate this year is 3.8, but his BB/9 is stunning: 1.9. He's transformed from a fly-ball pitcher to a ground-ball pitcher after shifting from Petco Park.

This year he's 7-4 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.

Career against the Mets he's 1-3, with a 2.94 ERA and 1.21 WHIP; his lone win came last year, despite the fact he let up 6 runs in 6 innings.