Southpaw reliever George Sherrill held left-handed hitters to a .192/.286/.288 batting line in 2010, but an overexposure to righties left him with a 6.69 overall ERA and 1.93 overall WHIP in 65 total relief appearances.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the Los Angeles Times is reporting that the Dodgers are unlikely to offer salary arbitration to Sherrill. He earned a hefty $4.5 million salary this year and would gain a slight raise through the arbitration process.
The Dodgers are wise to want to avoid that cost.
Sherill will hit the open market as a 33-year-old with closing experience and a solid 3.76 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. If used correctly -- only against left-handers, in other words -- he could be a useful piece to a lot of big league bullpens.
