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It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Pirates are testing the market to see what kind of package they can get for closer Joel Hanrahan. It's been reported that the Red Sox, Dodgers and Tigers are all in the mix to acquire Hanrahan's services, but that may be hitting a little bit of a snag.
After Hanrahan turned in a terrific season in 2011, he regressed mightily in 2012, especially in terms of his control. His walk rate dropped from a sterling 2.1-per-nine-innings in 2011 to a woeful 5.4 last year, and ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that teams are very wary of acquiring him after seeing his control completely escape him.
Before Hanrahan's breakout 2011, he had also had issues with control. In 2009, he walked 34 batters in 64 innings as a middle reliever for the Nationals and then for the Pirates after they acquired him in a midseason trade.