Hello, my name is: Joe Thatcher

How this works

Every other day, from now through to Christmas, we'll open up discussion on a particular player who made a meaningful contribution to the 2014 Diamondbacks. [I've drawn the line at 125 PA or 20 innings] There will be two sections. Firstly, a poll where you rate them from 5 ("Highly satisfied") down to 1 ("Very dissatisfied"): it's entirely up to you what criteria you use for the number. Secondly, the comments below, where you can talk about the reasons for your vote, etc. Things to discuss include, but are not limited to:

• Pre-season expectations 
  
• 2014 performance: strengths and weaknesses, etc. 
  
• Health and other mitigating factors 
  
• How they'll help the team in 2015, their role, etc.

Three days down the line, we'll collate the votes, calculate a final average score, and write up the consensus of SnakePit thought into an appraisal. Here is a quick overview of today's candidate for your consideration.

Additional bonus! Going forward. we'll also have a "Comment of the Thread" for the appraisal, so please rec the comments you find insightful, funny, or whatever.

Joe Thatcher - LHP

• DOB: 10/4/1981
  
• 2014 salary: $2,375,000
  
• 2014 performance [AZ only]: 37 G, 24 IP, 25:3 K:BB, 2.63 ERA, 1-9 record, 145 ERA+
  
• 2014 value: 0.2 bWAR, 0.2 fWAR

If you wanted an example of reliever volatility, this was it. Thatcher was very solid for the D-backs, holding all batters to a .670 OPS [below all regulars bar Nuño] and his K:BB ratio of 25:3 was second all-time by any Arizona pitcher with 20+ IP, behind Curt Schilling's 9.58 in 2002. But with his contract up at the end of the year, Thatcher was a likely trade candidate as soon as we dropped out of contention, and so it proved. And when he went to Anaheim, in 6.1 innings for them, Joe allowed almost as many earned runs as over all of his 37 appearances for the D-backs, hitters clubbing him around at a .433 clip. Fortunately, that's not our concern here...