Biographical

Portrait of John Lackey

John Lackey PCubs

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 40)
IP ERA WHIP SO W L SV WARP
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Birth Date10-23-1978
Height6' 6"
Weight235 lbs
Age45 years, 6 months, 2 days
BatsR
ThrowsR
4.22015
4.72016
0.92017
2018
0.32019
proj
WARP Summary

MLB Statistics

Historical (past-seasons) WARP is now based on DRA..
cFIP and DRA are not available on a by-team basis and display as zeroes(0). See TOT line for season totals of these stats.
Multiple stints are are currently shown —Click to hide.
YEAR Team Lg G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA- WARP
2002 ANA MLB 18 18 108.3 9 4 0 113 33 69 10 95 9.4 2.7 0.8 5.7 0% .295 1.35 4.00 3.66 100 4.00 85.9 1.9
2003 ANA MLB 33 33 204.0 10 16 0 223 66 151 31 100 9.8 2.9 1.4 6.7 0% .306 1.42 4.70 4.63 100 4.34 90.9 3.2
2004 ANA MLB 33 32 198.3 14 13 0 215 60 144 22 103 9.8 2.7 1.0 6.5 0% .311 1.39 4.17 4.67 95 4.00 82.6 3.9
2005 ANA MLB 33 33 209.0 14 5 0 208 71 199 13 97 9.0 3.1 0.6 8.6 0% .326 1.33 3.12 3.44 80 2.78 59.8 6.4
2006 ANA MLB 33 33 217.7 13 11 0 203 72 190 14 101 8.4 3.0 0.6 7.9 0% .297 1.26 3.39 3.56 84 3.18 64.8 6.2
2007 ANA MLB 33 33 224.0 19 9 0 219 52 179 18 99 8.8 2.1 0.7 7.2 0% .301 1.21 3.60 3.01 83 3.46 71.5 5.5
2008 ANA MLB 24 24 163.3 12 5 0 161 40 130 26 103 8.9 2.2 1.4 7.2 0% .288 1.23 4.55 3.75 93 4.58 97.7 1.7
2009 ANA MLB 27 27 176.3 11 8 0 177 47 139 17 103 9.0 2.4 0.9 7.1 0% .299 1.27 3.76 3.83 88 4.09 87.6 2.9
2010 BOS MLB 33 33 215.0 14 11 0 233 72 156 18 113 9.8 3.0 0.8 6.5 0% .319 1.42 3.81 4.40 97 4.94 111.5 0.8
2011 BOS MLB 28 28 160.0 12 12 0 203 56 108 20 108 11.4 3.2 1.1 6.1 0% .339 1.62 4.74 6.41 115 5.95 138.3 -1.7
2013 BOS MLB 29 29 189.3 10 13 0 179 40 161 26 102 8.5 1.9 1.2 7.7 0% .281 1.16 3.88 3.52 91 3.38 80.9 3.6
2014 BOS 0 21 21 137.3 11 7 0 137 32 116 15 101 9.0 2.1 1.0 7.6 0% .298 1.23 3.59 3.60 92 3.91 95.9 1.6
2014 SLN 0 10 10 60.7 3 3 0 69 15 48 9 103 10.2 2.2 1.3 7.1 0% .319 1.38 4.24 4.30 87 3.25 79.7 1.2
2015 SLN MLB 33 33 218.0 13 10 0 211 53 175 21 94 8.7 2.2 0.9 7.2 0% .296 1.21 3.59 2.77 92 3.46 80.8 4.2
2016 CHN MLB 29 29 188.3 11 8 0 146 53 180 23 89 7.0 2.5 1.1 8.6 43% .255 1.06 3.84 3.35 89 3.17 70.1 4.7
2017 CHN MLB 31 30 170.7 12 12 0 165 53 149 36 99 8.7 2.8 1.9 7.9 43% .268 1.28 5.31 4.59 111 5.10 108.5 0.9
2014 TOT MLB 31 31 198.0 14 10 0 206 47 164 24 102 9.4 2.1 1.1 7.5 0% .000 1.28 3.79 3.82 91 3.71 90.9 2.7
CareerMLB4484462840.31881470286281522943191019.12.61.07.345%.3011.293.983.92933.9687.047.0

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.
YEAR Team Lg LG G GS IP W L SV H BB SO HR PPF H/9 BB/9 HR/9 K/9 GB% BABIP WHIP FIP ERA cFIP DRA DRA-
1999 BOI A- NWN 15 15 81.3 6 2 0 81 50 77 7 9.0 5.5 0.8 8.5 0% -.548 1.61 5.16 4.98 0 0.00 0.0
2000 CDR A MDW 5 5 30.3 3 2 0 20 5 21 1 5.9 1.5 0.3 6.2 0% -.704 0.83 2.82 2.08 0 0.00 0.0
2000 LEL A+ CLF 15 15 100.7 6 6 0 94 42 74 9 8.4 3.8 0.8 6.6 0% -.680 1.35 4.62 3.40 0 0.00 0.0
2000 ERI AA EAS 8 8 57.3 6 1 0 58 9 43 6 9.1 1.4 0.9 6.8 0% -.897 1.17 3.73 3.30 0 0.00 0.0
2001 ARK AA TXS 18 18 127.3 9 7 0 106 29 94 11 7.5 2.1 0.8 6.6 0% -.709 1.06 3.85 3.46 0 0.00 0.0
2001 SLC AAA PCL 10 10 57.7 3 4 0 75 16 42 5 11.7 2.5 0.8 6.6 0% -1.111 1.58 4.05 6.71 0 0.00 0.0
2002 ANA MLB AL 18 18 108.3 9 4 0 113 33 69 10 95 9.4 2.7 0.8 5.7 0% .295 1.35 4.00 3.66 100 4.00 85.9
2002 SLC AAA PCL 16 16 101.7 8 2 0 89 28 82 5 7.9 2.5 0.4 7.3 0% .285 1.15 3.36 2.57 0 0.00 0.0
2003 ANA MLB AL 33 33 204.0 10 16 0 223 66 151 31 100 9.8 2.9 1.4 6.7 0% .306 1.42 4.70 4.63 100 4.34 90.9
2004 ANA MLB AL 33 32 198.3 14 13 0 215 60 144 22 103 9.8 2.7 1.0 6.5 0% .311 1.39 4.17 4.67 95 4.00 82.6
2005 ANA MLB AL 33 33 209.0 14 5 0 208 71 199 13 97 9.0 3.1 0.6 8.6 0% .326 1.33 3.12 3.44 80 2.78 59.8
2006 ANA MLB AL 33 33 217.7 13 11 0 203 72 190 14 101 8.4 3.0 0.6 7.9 0% .297 1.26 3.39 3.56 84 3.18 64.8
2007 ANA MLB AL 33 33 224.0 19 9 0 219 52 179 18 99 8.8 2.1 0.7 7.2 0% .301 1.21 3.60 3.01 83 3.46 71.5
2008 ANA MLB AL 24 24 163.3 12 5 0 161 40 130 26 103 8.9 2.2 1.4 7.2 0% .288 1.23 4.55 3.75 93 4.58 97.7
2008 RCU A+ CLF 3 3 9.0 0 0 0 8 2 11 1 103 8.0 2.0 1.0 11.0 0% .292 1.11 4.10 4.00 76 3.11 63.6
2009 ANA MLB AL 27 27 176.3 11 8 0 177 47 139 17 103 9.0 2.4 0.9 7.1 0% .299 1.27 3.76 3.83 88 4.09 87.6
2009 SLC AAA PCL 2 2 9.7 0 1 0 6 1 8 1 91 5.6 0.9 0.9 7.4 0% .200 0.72 3.76 2.78 83 2.94 61.8
2010 BOS MLB AL 33 33 215.0 14 11 0 233 72 156 18 113 9.8 3.0 0.8 6.5 0% .319 1.42 3.81 4.40 97 4.94 111.5
2011 BOS MLB AL 28 28 160.0 12 12 0 203 56 108 20 108 11.4 3.2 1.1 6.1 0% .339 1.62 4.74 6.41 115 5.95 138.3
2011 PAW AAA INT 1 1 5.7 0 0 0 3 0 4 1 91 4.8 0.0 1.6 6.4 0% .133 0.53 4.11 1.59 97 3.43 69.9
2013 BOS MLB AL 29 29 189.3 10 13 0 179 40 161 26 102 8.5 1.9 1.2 7.7 0% .281 1.16 3.88 3.52 91 3.38 80.9
2013 PME AA EAS 1 1 3.7 0 0 0 3 2 5 0 104 7.4 4.9 0.0 12.3 0% .375 1.36 2.22 0.00 84 4.03 87.5
2014 BOS MLB AL 21 21 137.3 11 7 0 137 32 116 15 101 9.0 2.1 1.0 7.6 0% .298 1.23 3.59 3.60 92 3.91 95.9
2014 SLN MLB NL 10 10 60.7 3 3 0 69 15 48 9 103 10.2 2.2 1.3 7.1 0% .319 1.38 4.24 4.30 87 3.25 79.7
2015 SLN MLB NL 33 33 218.0 13 10 0 211 53 175 21 94 8.7 2.2 0.9 7.2 0% .296 1.21 3.59 2.77 92 3.46 80.8
2016 CHN MLB NL 29 29 188.3 11 8 0 146 53 180 23 89 7.0 2.5 1.1 8.6 43% .255 1.06 3.84 3.35 89 3.17 70.1
2017 CHN MLB NL 31 30 170.7 12 12 0 165 53 149 36 99 8.7 2.8 1.9 7.9 43% .268 1.28 5.31 4.59 111 5.10 108.5

Plate Discipline

YEAR Pits Zone% Swing% Contact% Z-Swing% O-Swing% Z-Contact% O-Contact% SwStr%
2008 2321 0.5282 0.4657 0.8002 0.6117 0.3023 0.8920 0.5921 0.1998
2009 2737 0.4936 0.4319 0.7944 0.5692 0.2980 0.8973 0.6029 0.2056
2010 3584 0.5078 0.4381 0.8185 0.5885 0.2829 0.8796 0.6874 0.1815
2011 2837 0.4804 0.4607 0.8279 0.6258 0.3080 0.8921 0.7070 0.1721
2013 2864 0.4993 0.4846 0.7788 0.6294 0.3403 0.8511 0.6455 0.2212
2014 3068 0.5417 0.5020 0.7812 0.6378 0.3414 0.8632 0.6000 0.2188
2015 3096 0.5410 0.4955 0.7934 0.6454 0.3188 0.8631 0.6269 0.2066
2016 2823 0.4828 0.4800 0.7432 0.6427 0.3281 0.8413 0.5637 0.2568
2017 2750 0.5033 0.4658 0.7627 0.6358 0.2936 0.8409 0.5910 0.2373
Career260800.50900.46930.78960.62050.31240.86870.62660.2104

Injury History  —  No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On Date Off Transaction Days Games Side Body Part Injury Severity Surgery Date Reaggravation
2014-09-11 2014-09-19 DTD 8 7 Right Shoulder Fatigue -
2013-04-07 2013-04-28 15-DL 21 19 Right Arm Strain Biceps - -
2012-02-21 2012-10-04 60-DL 226 162 Right Elbow Recovery From Surgery Tommy John Surgery 2011-11-01 -
2011-11-01 2011-11-01 Off 0 0 Right Elbow Surgery Tommy John Surgery 2011-11-01 -
2011-09-09 2011-09-09 DTD 0 0 - Lower Leg Contusion Batted Ball Off Shin - -
2011-05-12 2011-06-05 15-DL 24 21 Right Elbow Strain -
2009-03-27 2009-05-16 15-DL 50 34 Right Elbow Recovery From Inflammation Triceps -
2009-03-21 2009-03-27 Camp 6 0 Right Elbow Inflammation -
2008-03-21 2008-05-13 15-DL 53 40 Right Upper Arm Strain Triceps -
2007-06-18 2007-06-18 DTD 0 0 Right Shoulder Stiffness -
2007-03-03 2007-03-08 Camp 5 0 General Medical Illness Strep Throat -
2006-03-02 2006-03-10 Camp 8 0 Right Shoulder Stiffness -

Compensation

Year Team Salary
2017 CHN $16,000,000
2016 CHN $16,000,000
2015 SLN $507,500
2014 BOS $15,950,000
2013 BOS $15,950,000
2012 BOS $15,950,000
2011 BOS $15,950,000
2010 BOS $18,700,000
2009 ANA $10,000,000
2008 ANA $7,000,000
2007 ANA $5,500,000
2006 ANA $3,010,000
2005 ANA $440,000
2004 ANA $375,000
2003 ANA $315,000
YearsDescriptionSalary
15 yrPrevious$141,647,500
15 yrTotal$141,647,500

 

Service TimeAgentContract Status
15 y 95 dHillard Sports2 years/$32M (2016-17)

Details
  • 2 years/$32M (2016-17). Signed by Chicago Cubs as a free agent 12/8/15. $7M signing bonus ($2M paid 12/15, $5M paid in 2017). 16:$12.5M, 17:$12.5M.
  • 5 years/$82.5M (2010-14), plus 2015 option. Signed by Boston as a free agent 12/16/09. $3.5M signing bonus. 10:$18M, 11-14: $15.25M/year, 15: club option at Major League minimum salary if Lackey misses "significant" time with surgery for pre-existing elbow injury. $0.5M assignment bonus. Award bonus. Acquired by St. Louis in trade from Boston 7/31/14. St. Louis exercised 2015 option 10/30/14. In March 2015, St. Louis added performance bonuses ($0.4M each for 100, 125, 150, 175, 200 innings pitched).
  • 3 years/$17.01M (2006-08), plus $9M 09 club option. Signed extension with LA Angels 4/06 (replaced one-year, $3.6M deal for 2006 signed 1/06, avoided arbitration). $1M signing bonus. 06:$3.01M, 07:$5.5M, 08:$7M, 09:$9M club option, $0.5M buyout. Option increased to $10.5M based on 07-08 Cy Young vote. Award bonus: $50,000 for All-Star, $75,000 for 3rd in 2007 Cy Young vote.
  • 1 year/$0.44M (2005). Re-signed by LA Angels 2/05.
  • 1 year/$0.375M (2004). Re-signed by Anaheim 3/04.
  • 1 year/$0.375M (2004). Re-signed by Anaheim 3/03.
  • 1 year/$0.315M (2003). Re-signed by Anaheim 3/03.
  • 1 year (2002). Re-signed by Anaheim 2/02. Optioned to Triple-A 3/02. Recalled 6/02.
  • Drafted by Anaheim 1999 (2-68) (Grayson County College, Texas).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT W L SV G GS IP H BB SO HR BABIP WHIP ERA DRA VORP WARP
90o 0 3.9 0 8 8 50.4 39 14 45 6 .245 1.04 3.26 3.51 -1.7 -0.2
80o 0 3.7 0 7 7 45.1 37 13 41 6 .257 1.11 3.61 3.89 -3.3 -0.4
70o 0 3.5 0 7 7 41.4 36 13 37 5 .266 1.17 3.87 4.17 -4.3 -0.5
60o 0 3.4 0 6 6 38.3 34 12 35 5 .274 1.22 4.09 4.42 -5.0 -0.5
50o 0 3.3 0 6 6 35.5 33 12 32 5 .281 1.26 4.31 4.65 -5.5 -0.6
40o 0 3.1 0 5 5 32.7 32 11 30 5 .289 1.31 4.52 4.88 -5.8 -0.6
30o 0 2.9 0 5 5 29.8 30 11 27 5 .297 1.36 4.75 5.13 -6.1 -0.7
20o 0 2.7 0 4 4 26.5 28 10 24 4 .306 1.42 5.03 5.43 -6.3 -0.7
10o 0 2.4 0 4 4 22.0 24 9 20 4 .319 1.51 5.42 5.85 -6.2 -0.7
Weighted Mean03.206634.93211325.2801.254.284.62-5.3-0.6

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

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BP Chats

DateQuestionAnswer
2011-05-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)Hi Steven. Worse contract: John Lackey's 5 year/$85 million deal with Boston or Derek Jeter's 3 year/$51 with New York? I think Lackey but I'm curious as to your opinion. Thanks for the chat!
(mattymatty2000 from Portland, OR)		Jeter's. As expensive and disappointing as Lackey has been, he's a new pitch or refined mechanics away from salvaging the deal. Not saying it WILL happen, but it's in the realm of possibility, whereas Jeter has gone to that undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns. (Steven Goldman)
2011-04-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)Hi Steven. After the Red Sox cut Daniel Bard, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Carl Crawford, and fire Terry Francona they can still win 140 games and win the World Series, right?
(mattymatty2000 from Portland, OR)		The panic in Boston is as exaggerated as this question, and I'm sure that if an angel sent Lot into the city to find 20 good men who weren't panicked by an early sweep, he would easily fulfill his quota and spare Beantown a hail of brimstone. The Red Sox are still the class of the league. Some champions go wire-to-wire, some don't. That's all it is. (Steven Goldman)
2011-04-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)Jay: Understanding we are still in SSS(small sample size) territory, has anything in the first week of play: (a) produced evidence of a surprising new career development; or (b) confirmed a suspicion of decline? or (c) indicated the possibility of a real change in career path? in any of your most-watched players? In other words, what should I watch for in the April-June period? Thanks for the chat.
(BeplerP from NYC)		I think we have to be incredibly wary of making bold pronunciations about one week of play, particularly one week of play in cold weather, because a lot of players may be struggling with the elements. The danger is that our suspicions of decline can easily become confirmation biases - see, Clay Buchholz is regressing! John Lackey doesn't have it anymore! The Rays can't win the AL East without Carl Crawford! The Orioles are for real! All of those things may turn out to be true, but if we pretend to really know them now, we're just pumping hot air.

What I look for in the first two months is whether rookies get the hang of things, and how managers deal with their bullpens and the moving parts in their lineup - are they platooning? How are they getting around the holes in their roster? Where might they be looking to upgrade this summer in order to make a run? (Jay Jaffe)
2010-10-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)What are the chances the Red Sox end up with fair value on the John Lackey contract? Lackey looked like a better pitcher in the second half, but he looked cooked in the first so maybe I'm just straw grasping here...
(mattymatty2000 from Portland, OR)		He'll be better, and he'll deliver more value than A.J. Burnett, the man whose contract his own resembles. In terms of value, in a market where the price of top available free agent hurlers seems to be set by the Sox and Yankees, that's fair performance on fair market value. (Christina Kahrl)
2010-09-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)So is this who John Lackey is now? A slightly above average innings eater? I can't imagine that's what Theo Epstein thought he was getting for his $82 million.
(mattymatty2000 from Portland, OR)		It's been a rough season for Lackey, but let's not forget that Josh Beckett put up a 5.01 ERA in his first season in Boston, only to rebound with a Cy Young caliber season the following year. Of course, Beckett didn't have nearly the mileage or the history of recent arm troubles that Lackey's had.

The thing I find particularly disconcerting is Lackey's plummeting strikeout rate. He's going to have to miss more bats to be successful in the AL East, and if he doesn't, that contract is going to turn into a real albatross. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-08-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)Is this who John Lackey is going forward or can the Red Sox hope for some improvement in the next four seasons?
(mattymatty2000 from Portland, OR)		Hey, good time for a plug! I wrote about this recently at a new venture Patrick Sullivan and I are working on, Red Sox Beacon. We'll have daily Sox analysis and plenty of articles centered around facepalming after reading Shaughnessy's work. (Marc Normandin)
2010-04-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)So, watching John Lackey pitch right now for the Red Sox on MLB.tv and giving thanks that a) he's no longer on the Angels, so I don't have to watch his goofy, slack-jawed, mouth-breathing mug pitch every 5th day on local tv and b) not only *wasn't* he signed by my favorite team, but I get to double down on my dislike because he was signed by my *least* favorite team. I fully acknowledge the irrationality of it, but my Yankees' fandom dodged a bullet this offseason, because I just couldn't imagine ever feeling happy about rooting for Lackey. Is there anyone you would say you'd have an irrational (as opposed to a rational, performance based) dislike for seeing playing for your favorite team?
(Cult of Basebaal from Los Angeles of Pasadena)		Not really. There are very few players where I feel like I have gotten to know them well enough, either through personal interaction or through the media, that I can say, "Oh, he's a bad person. I dislike him so much I must root against him." There are one or two guys I've tried to talk to in clubhouses and had a bad time of it, and I have faintly negative feelings about them, but I'm not embittered or anything. The only exception might be if a player comes out and says something that identifies them as suffering from some kind of intolerance... It's just performance-based for me. I can remember prior to 1992 saying to friends, "The Yankees can get anyone to play third base as long as it's not Charlie Hayes," and of course it was Charlie Hayes. That wasn't because I had anything against Charlie personally, but just because he was a career .247/.276/.361 hitter to that point. (Steven Goldman)
2009-12-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)Does Omar Minaya have a plan? A clue? A radio? Internet access? Sign Ben Sheets already. Forget about the entire Molina clan. Sign Bay, but not if it means losing focus on signing pitcher (see, e.g., John Lackey). p.s. Fela!
(Dan from Bklyn)		No, no, no, yes, and I have confirmed that was him asking for fantasy advice (true story was that back at one winter meetings he did tell a BP colleague that RBI were a key facet of his player evaluation strategy. Sheets: not at his current asking price. Bay: I wouldn't go 4x$15m, let alone 5 x anything. Fela: YES. New reissue series coming in 2010, but those two-fer discs are endlessly listenable. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-12-15 14:00:00 (link to chat)Thanks for the chat, Christina. You are one of the reasons I just re-upped my subscription for another year. Are you of the opinion, like your colleague Mr. Sheehan, that the Red Sox signing of John Lackey is a precursor to a trade for some offensive centerpiece? If possible please include at least one reference to a historical event over 200 years old in your answer. Thanks!
(mattymatty2000 from Philly, PA)		Thanks for your support mattymatty, definitely appreciated. I have to think that there's every reason to believe they'll deal pitching for offense, in part because the pitchers out there now seem attached to various risks (Sheets, Bedard, Smoltz, Wang, Washburn) or because they're just not seen as tremendous front-end types (Marquis, Pineiro, Washburn, Wang). If you decide the bids on Jason Bay are too rich for your blood, and you want to go after a better bat at either infield corner and maybe left (if the Mike Cameron thing doesn't work out), my sense is that the only better bargaining chip to have beyond well-regarded starters would be a shortstop prospect. (Christina Kahrl)
2009-11-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)Would you rather have John Lackey or two from the high upside/injured grouping of Bedard, Harden, and Sheets, thinking that a one year, 8 mil plus option deal (or something similar) would work for them? I might lean toward the latter and would certainly choose the latter over Marquis, Pineiro, or Wolf.
(jschmeagol from hyattsville, md)		It's funny you should ask because I have an article going up later today in which I break down 10 free agent SPs, separating them into groups based on their proneness to injury. I personally think it would be a more sound strategy do grab Bedard and Harden on 1-yr deals with options than to give Wolf, Pineiro or Marquis deals resembling that of Ollie Perez. (Eric Seidman)
2009-11-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)I'm interested in your thoughts about the shape of the offseason. It seemed like last year everybody was waiting for Manny to sign to begin the cascade of other signings. Who is the player who fits that role this year (if anyone) and, holy mackerel, is it possible that it's Chone Figgins? He seems to be on many teams' radar and is also central to whether the Angels pursue Lackey (they've said they can only sign one of the two), which begins the pitching cascade. If I'm crazy, please don't tell me.
(Rob from Alaska)		I actually think the reverse is going to happen with Figgins. We'll see something like Detroit re-sign Polanco, the Phillies re-sign DeRosa, and Beltre go somewhere on a 2-20 with a 3rd yr option, meaning that Figgins won't get anywhere near the 5-50 his agent has been touting. Add in the lack of any superb pitchers aside from John Lackey and an eerily long list of injury prone starters and it might not be that teams are waiting for someone to set the market but rather taking much more time deciding to whom they should open their checkbooks. (Eric Seidman)
2009-10-28 14:00:00 (link to chat)Do you think that the Dodgers need to go out an trade for a true number one starter. Would Toronto accept a Billingsley, Broxton, and Gordon package for Halladay?
(Mike from Utica,NY)		It's a tough call. I definitely think Kershaw and Billingsley both have the capability to be true number ones, but they're not there yet, and by the time they get there, the Dodgers' current nucleus may start to disperse. Given that Kerhsaw seems to have passed Billingsley on the track towards getting there and that there may be some concerns about the latter's conditioning, I could see building a deal around him, but adding Broxton and Gordon to that package is too much to bear.

I'd far rather see the Dodgers go after John Lackey as a free agent. No, he's not as good as Halladay, but throwing him 1-4-7 in a series is no shame, and all he costs is money and a draft pick. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-10-28 14:00:00 (link to chat)Given that the Angels payroll will likely only support re-siging of a portion of their free agents, would bringing Figgins back make sense in light of his multi year run of playoff collapses?
(askeys from Los Angeles)		Again, you don't make personnel decision based upon a small sample of postseason performances. There are reasons not to sign Figgins, who's coming of his Age 31 season, who's had trouble staying healthy (nearly 100 games missed in 2007-2008) and who's just had a career year based on a walk total that's light years beyond his previous showings.

Will that new-found plate discipline stick? Will the Halos be better off letting Brandon Wood finally have his day? Would they be better off spending the money for Figgins on retaining John Lackey? Those are questions the Angels have to answer. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-10-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)The Mets have identified Matt Holliday as their number 1A target after John Lackey. So where does he end up - St. Louis for less money or in NY?
(Moose from Whippleville, NY)		The Yankees will need a LF, too, and have a ton of money coming off the payroll again. That's not to say he'll end up there, just making the point. I'm not sure there's value in this year's market--good players, not great ones, who will end up overpaid for being best in class.

I have no real idea where Holliday will end up. I guess I should reiterate the point that the reasons these guys sign are often inscrutable to us, comparable to the same reasons any of us might relocate. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-07-13 14:00:00 (link to chat) At what point do you ascribe significance to 1st half/2nd half splits (thinking Cano, LaRoche, etc), beyond mere coincidence? Who are some players you think will perform far better in the 2nd half than they did the 1st?
(Drew from Ohio)		I don't, basically. As far as second-half improvers this year, give me B.J. Upton, Howie Kendrick and John Lackey. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-10-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)Dear Mr. Carroll: Is it OK if I sneak in an early keeper question involving four pitchers with various kinds of (health) concerns? I can keep two out of these four aces: John Lackey, Francisco Liriano, Ervin Santana and Ben Sheets. Who would you keep and why?
(bo9anderson from Amterdam, the Netherlands)		I'd keep Lackey (pitching for a contract, few health problems) and Liriano (healthy, good team). Liriano's not a clear choice over Santana. Sheets -- arm trouble plus I dont know where he'll play. Him signing in Texas or Houston would knock him way down. (Will Carroll)
2008-10-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)Hi Marc, Given that the two of the top teams from the regular season have already been eliminated, I think there may be a problem with the current (5-game) playoff format. Trouble is, I can't think of a better set up. Simply switching to a 7-game in the LDS seems unappealing, as the playoffs are long enough already, and there's little chance of convincing the networks to condense the schedule. Any ideas?
(BigOwe from SF)		I'd like to see the Division Series go seven games rather than five, but that's just the structure of the playoffs in general. If these series were all 25 games long, we'd still have lesser teams coming away victorious a percentage of the time.

Let's not forget that the Angels were ranked behind the Red Sox in Hit List pretty much all year, despite the better actual record, and that they had 84 third-order wins while the Red Sox had 102. I'd hardly say the Angels lost to the worse team, as John Lackey so sour-grapingly put it after yesterday's finale. (Marc Normandin)
2008-10-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)Hi Joe. Is your aversion to C.C. from a Yankee perspective a) health concerns, b) need or c) both?
(Joe from Washington, DC)		C. I don't like him in the medium- or long-term because of his body. I think even if his arm holds out, the rest of him will break down. There are actually a LOT of pitchers coming onto either the trade or FA markets behind Sabathia who are a lot more attractive to me, and I'd rather wait on them, save the money for Felix Hernandez or John Lackey or someone like that. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-04-25 15:00:00 (link to chat)Could the A's conceivably win the AL West with 85 wins or so or do the Angels pull away once they get healthy (since we know Rich Harden won't!)?
(Dave from Chicago)		Right now this is looking as though it might be your typical two-team AL West battle as it's been for most of the past few years. The A's appear to be playing above their heads, but it shouldn't be all that shocking that a few things have gone especially right given the bad luck that's befallen this team in recent years, things like Bobby Crosby's health and Dana Eveland's ability to pitch at a major league level. I think a lot depends on whether John Lackey can be John Lackey when he gets back, and how well guys like Harden and Duchscherer can withstand regular turns in the rotation. (Jay Jaffe)
2008-03-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)I believe John Lackey has had shoulder problems for the last 3 years in the spring. The innings pitced over the last four years made me question the green this season. I assume this is just normal wear and tear for pitchers?
(scottziegler from Beaver Dam,WI)		I completely and totally discount reports of "soreness" in spring training. It's too normal and too spuriously reported to be used as a precise tool. I wait for actual, addressable injury. (Will Carroll)
2008-02-06 14:00:00 (link to chat)Please rank and comment on the follow AL Starters. Rich Harden, Shaun Marcum, Phil Hughes, Erik Bedard, John Lackey.
(Bittorrentluvr from Music Theft, IA)		Ok, so you want to roll a whole bunch of information into a single axis, huh? Fair enough. I'll spare you the 4 paragraphs of equivocation...

Lackey
Bedard
Hughes
Marcum
Harden

With the difference between Marcum and Hughes not being particularly large. Of course, move Harden's E(Starts) from eight to thirty, and things change. (Gary Huckabay)
2008-02-07 14:00:00 (link to chat)Now that Santana is out of the American League who do you see as the early favorite to win the Cy Young? Will Sabathia repeat or will someone step up and knock him off his perch?
(Martin from New Jersey)		John Lackey and Felix Hernandez are atop my list. Justin Verlander, because of the run support. (Joe Sheehan)


BP Roundtables

DateRoundtable NameComment
2009-10-16 13:00:00NLCS Game Two/ALCS Game OneHoly cow. Aybar and Figgins look at each other, watch the popup drop, and the run scores. John Lackey could be excused for punching both guys in the junk. (Jay Jaffe)
 

PITCHf/x Pitcher Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC


Although he has not thrown an MLB pitch in 2024, John Lackey threw 29,787 pitches that were tracked by the PITCHf/x system between 2007 and 2017, including pitches thrown in . In 2017, he relied primarily on his Fourseam Fastball (91mph) and Slider (83mph), also mixing in a Sinker (91mph) and Curve (78mph). He also rarely threw a Change (84mph).