Troy Percival May Reunite With Joe Maddon

He didn't really get a lot of publicity last year, but Troy Percival was nails for the Cardinals after returning from nearly two years on the sidelines. In 34 appearances spanning 40 innings, he posted a 1.80 ERA and 0.85 WHIP to go with 36 strikeouts and just 10 walks. I figured he'd be decent, but I didn't realize he'd be nearly as dominant as he was in his prime.

Not surprisingly, Percival is now convinced that he has a couple of years left in him and is seeking a two-year deal as a free agent. One of the teams he's looking at is the Tampa Bay Dev... err, the Tampa Bay Rays. Why in the world would anyone seek out the Rays? Because Percival has a connection with Joe Maddon, who coached Percival in Anaheim for 10 years. From the Tampa Tribune:

Percival's agent, Paul Cohen, said Tuesday that the Rays are among about 10 teams interested in the 38-year-old pitcher, who went 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 34 appearances for St. Louis this season after sitting out nearly two years with forearm trouble.
[...]
"We wouldn't be having serious conversations with them if Troy wasn't serious," Cohen said. "He has a tremendous respect for Joe."

Al Reyes (another former Cardinal) was actually pretty decent in his first year as a closer: despite posting a 4.90 ERA, he saved 26 games to go with a 1.15 WHIP and .215 opposing batting average. It's not clear if Percival would supplant Reyes or continue in the setup role he served last year, but considering this will likely be the last contract he signs, it won't be a surprise to see him push for closer money. Todd Jones, who is a year older than Percival, wasn't half as dominant as Percival last year and still finagled a one-year, $7 million deal out of the Tigers. I won't be shocked at all if there's some team out there willing to give Percival $10 million over two years.