Collin Balester

Collin Balester

38-Year-Old PitcherP
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Collin Balester in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a minor-league contract with the Giants in May of 2017.
Signs minor league deal with Tigers
PDetroit Tigers  
December 23, 2016
Balester signed a minor league deal with the Tigers on Friday, Baseball America's Matt Eddy reports.
ANALYSIS
He pitched in Korea last season but was pitching out of a big league bullpen with the Reds as recently as 2015. His career stats in the majors (5.47 ERA, 1.50 WHIP in 200.2 innings) point to Balester serving as organizational bullpen depth.
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Collin Balester See More
NL FAAB Factor: Rising Star(lin)?
August 30, 2015
Starlin Castro has had a disappointing year, but his bat has come to life and the injury to Jorge Soler may have opened up some playing time. This week's NL FAAB Factor, courtesy of RotoWire's Jan Levine.
Monday Lineup Card: McCall on McCullers
August 23, 2015
Lance McCullers is Monday's Recommended Pickup after fanning eight over seven strong innings Sunday against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers.
Wednesday Lineup Card: Kemp Returns
May 29, 2012
Bernie On The Scene: Draft Impact, Part III
May 2, 2012
Mike Trout has already joined the Angels for a regular place in their lineup, but is he ready? Bernie Pleskoff breaks it down and looks at recent drafts of the Angels, Pirates, Tigers, Cards and Phillies.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
Balester split time between Syracuse and Washington in 2011 as a reliever. He features a fastball that averaged 94.1 mph in 2011 with a solid curveball and occasional change-up. His command comes and goes, especially against left-handed hitters, and he has had problems keeping the ball in the park in his big league career (15 percent HR/FB ratio). Expect him to be on the Triple-A shuttle again in 2012, but this time between Toledo and Detroit after he was acquired by the Tigers in December.
Balester re-invented himself as a reliever, adding life to his fastball and relying more on his cutter, which resulted in a 28:11 K:BB ratio in 21 big league innings and, perhaps most important, a dramatic improvement in his G/F ratio. If he can keep the ball down and maintain a strikeout rate north of 9.0 K/9IP he can survive the shaky control, but it's a fine line to walk to stay effective.
Balester once again struggled in 2009, getting rocked for 10 home runs in 30.1 innings in the majors and not pitching all that much better at Triple-A. He's still got youth on his side and won't turn 24 until midseason, but the last time he put up numbers befitting a real prospect was in 2007 at Double-A, and with the Nationals adding higher-ceiling prospects behind him Balester needs to produce, and fast, to hang on to a job.
Out of a sense of false optimism or maybe just desperation, the Nationals decided Balester was ready for the majors, but his performance in 15 big league starts showed just how far from reality was that perception. On the bright side his strikeout and walk rates stayed stable from the season before, but his inability to keep the ball in the park cost him after his promotion. His build, low-90's fastball and developing curve might remind some of Gavin Floyd, but remember that it took Floyd three years from his big league debut until he turned things around, and a similar timetable for Balester wouldn't be a shock.
Balester hardly dominated the high minors as a 21-year-old in 2007, but even being able to hold his own was an accomplishment. He improved his control at Double-A, but couldn't maintain it after a promotion and his mechanics and breaking pitches are still something of a work in progress. The lack of depth in the Nationals organization has pushed him up the ladder quickly, but they need to be very careful not to promote him to the majors until he's ready. He'll likely make his Nationals debut in '08, but don't expect him to start producing usable numbers until at least 2009.
More Fantasy News
PCincinnati Reds  
August 23, 2015
The Reds purchased Balester's contract from Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
ANALYSIS
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PPittsburgh Pirates  
Elbow
November 18, 2014
Balester (elbow) re-signed with the Pirates on a minor league deal Tuesday which includes an invite to spring training, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
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PTexas Rangers  
Elbow
June 6, 2013
Balester underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery Monday, MLive.com reports.
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PTexas Rangers  
November 28, 2012
Balester agreed to a minor league contract with the Rangers on Wednesday, ESPN.com reports.
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PDetroit Tigers  
May 29, 2012
The Tigers outrighted Balester to Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, Tigers Director of Media Relations Brian Britten reports.
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