Randy Choate

49-Year-Old PitcherP

Free Agent

2024 Stats

W-L

0-0

ERA

0.00

WHIP

0.00

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W-L

ERA

WHIP

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

There was no outlook written for Randy Choate in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.

Bats L

Throws L

40 Man No

Height 6'3"

Weight 180

DOB 9/5/1975

Drafted 5th Rd 1997

Retires from baseball

PFree Agent

February 17, 2017

Choate has retired from baseball, Sweeny Murti of WFAN reports.

ANALYSIS
Choate posted a career 3.70 ERA, with 348 strikeouts in 408 innings, over 15 seasons as a LOOGY.

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It's highly unlikely that Choate will return to the Cardinals in 2016 as the club had previously expressed interest in moving away from highly specialized arms in its bullpen, and Choate has been a lefty specialist for years now. Choate appeared in a whopping 71 games for the Cardinals while recording just 27.1 innings, striking out 22 while posting a 3.95 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Even at 40 years old, he's still a solid specialist and should work his way into a major league bullpen for 2016. He limits walks and big hits (.326 career slugging percentage against), but cannot be counted upon to pick up enough holds to provide fantasy value in leagues that reward the statistic.

Choate served as the lefty specialist out of the bullpen for the Cardinals again in 2014, holding left-handed hitters to a .093/.205/.147 line on the year while posting a 4.50 ERA in 36 innings of relief. The 39-year-old is a nice consistent piece to have for the Cardinals, but he's in the final season of a three-year deal with the club. His 3.58 xFIP indicates he was probably a little unlucky in his 2014 campaign, and pairing that with an unusually low 64.0% LOB rate makes it easy to see why his ERA was a little higher than normal in 2014. If there's any value left to squeeze from Choate at this stage of his career, it's in deeper NL-only formats that reward holds.

Choate is firmly entrenched as the Cardinals' lefty specialist out of the bullpen after another solid season in 2013 that saw him rack up 15 holds while posting a 2.29 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 35.1 innings. His xFIP (3.30) suggests he wasn't quite as good as the surface numbers indicate, but that has been the case for several years now as he's grown into his specialist role. As a member of an excellent bullpen where he's only asked to get one or two outs at a time, Choate should continue to post similar numbers. He'll have some value in deep leagues that count holds as a result.

Choate continued carving up opposing left-handed batters, holding them to a .158 average in 101 at-bats in 2012. Right-handers meanwhile smacked him around to the tune of a .325 mark, ensuring that he'll remain a lefty specialist despite the fact that the Cardinals signed him to a three-year, $7.5 million contract in December.

The Marlins smartly used Choate as a pure LOOGY last year, and the result was outstanding ratios while averaging barely more than an out per appearance until his season ended early with elbow trouble. That role gives him very little fantasy value, though, so even if he's fully healthy don't be fooled by that glittery ERA and WHIP given the low volume of innings.

Choate entered last season with the role of the left-handed specialist out of the bullpen. He filled that role more than adequately but was allowed to face too many right-handed hitters. Choate owned a 2.39 ERA against lefties, holding them to a .529 OPS and only one home run over 124 at-bats. Against righties he was routinely lit up, allowing two home runs in only 39 at-bats while holding a 8.30 ERA. He'll make for a fine lefty specialist once again; as long as he's used exclusively in that role.

Choate fared well in his first year as a Ray, recording a 3.47 ERA over 36.1 innings as a situational lefty. He also had enough confidence to vulture five saves for the season. After declining their option on Brian Shouse, it's likely the Rays will bring Choate back to be the situational lefty again.

Choate may be utilized as a lefty specialist in the Milwaukee bullpen, after toiling away at Triple-A Tucson and occasionally filling the same role in Arizona last season. Brewers pitching coach Mike Maddux has been able to get some effective work from Brian Shouse over the last two seasons, so Choate could be useful - just don't expect his production to yield tangible fantasy value.

("situational lefty")=("Randy Choate"). He won't have a high-leverage role if he's called up, and he'll have value only in very deep NL-only leagues.

Choate will compete for his usual situational lefty role in Arizona's pen this spring and won't have much roto impact.

Choate, who was sent to the Expos in the Javy Vazquez deal, needed a change in organization, after being buried by Yankees manager Joe Torre for his failure to get left-handers out in tight situations. Whenever Choate has pitched at the major league level, control has been an issue. With the late March trade to Arizona, Choate will likely be used as a situational lefty out of the pen.

Choate is a 27-year old lefty specialist with a career K/BB of 64/50 in 87 2/3 IP. His ERA last season was 6.04. Avoid.

More Fantasy News

PFree Agent

March 29, 2016

Choate was released by the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reports.