Colin Poche DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The New York Mets signed free-agent left-hander Colin Poche to a minor-league deal on Wednesday. Poche will report to Triple-A Syracuse and give the Mets some left-handed relief depth after they lost veteran A.J. Minter (lat) for the rest of the season. The Washington Nationals cut the 31-year-old veteran southpaw after he allowed 12 runs (11 earned) on 10 hits (one homer) while walking 12 and striking out 10 in just 8 1/3 relief innings in 13 appearances this year. Poche missed 2020 and 2021 due to injury but was much better the last three years with the Tampa Bay Rays, sporting a 3.27 ERA (4.16 FIP), A 1.13 WHIP, 10 saves, 158 strikeouts and 59 walks over 156 2/3 relief frames. A bounce-back is possible as he remains in the National League East, but Poche is off the fantasy radar for now.

The Washington Nationals selected the contract of left-hander Colin Poche on Saturday, adding him to their 40-man roster ahead of Opening Day next Thursday. Poche wasn't anything special during his 4 2/3 innings in the Grapefruit League this spring, giving up four earned runs, but the 31-year-old veteran southpaw will give the Nats some experience in their bullpen to begin the year. In a likely middle-relief role in Washington, Poche isn't going to have much fantasy appeal at all, although he did have a solid 3.27 ERA (4.16 FIP), a 1.13 WHIP, 10 saves, 158 strikeouts and 59 walks in 156 2/3 innings over 174 relief appearances for the Tampa Bay Rays over the last three seasons. He's also added 17 wins and 65 holds since the start of the 2022 season, so don't count him out as an under-the-radar contributor in holds leagues.

The Washington Nationals agreed on a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training with free-agent left-hander Colin Poche on Friday. Poche heads to the National League East after spending the last three years with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he went 17-7 with a 3.27 ERA (4.16 FIP), 1.13 WHIP, 10 saves, 158 strikeouts and 59 walks in 156 2/3 innings over 174 relief appearances. The 31-year-old southpaw appeared in 43 games out of the bullpen last year and sported a 3.86 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, two saves, 33 strikeouts and 13 walks in 37 1/3 frames. The veteran reliever also had 65 holds over the last three seasons and certainly has enough experience to win an Opening Day spot in Washington's bullpen, especially when considering the lack of proven options they have. Poche could be a sleeper for holds in deeper fantasy formats in D.C.