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Post by leo on Dec 6, 2012 15:11:00 GMT -5
www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-pitches-of-2011-fastball/Reliever Koji Uehara was the only other pitcher besides Papelbon to finish more than two standard deviations above the mean in both fastball swinging-strike rate (13.3%) and overall strike rate (74.5%). He finished the season with an excellent 1.89 wFA/C — actually, slightly better than Papelbon’s. Amazingly, Uehara has been able to maintain excellent fastball numbers despite below-average velocity, throwing his fastball at just 88.6 mph in 2011
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Post by patrmac04 on Dec 6, 2012 15:15:04 GMT -5
www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/the-best-pitches-of-2011-fastball/Reliever Koji Uehara was the only other pitcher besides Papelbon to finish more than two standard deviations above the mean in both fastball swinging-strike rate (13.3%) and overall strike rate (74.5%). He finished the season with an excellent 1.89 wFA/C � actually, slightly better than Papelbon�s. Amazingly, Uehara has been able to maintain excellent fastball numbers despite below-average velocity, throwing his fastball at just 88.6 mph in 2011 Baby steps in the right direction still get you there... feels good to see progress. After reading that.. this could be a significant step.
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Post by leo on Dec 6, 2012 15:21:49 GMT -5
Baby steps in the right direction still get you there... feels good to see progress. After reading that.. this could be a significant step. I hate those games that you lose in late innings due to poor relief...whole team grinds for 7 innings, close game, and the bp loses it - those are heartbreakers. It's very good for the morale and confidence of the team to have good arms in this situation
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Post by buffs4444 on Dec 6, 2012 15:21:59 GMT -5
RHPs Bailey, Tazawa, O'Hara (the Boston pronunciation), Melancon, Acevez, Bard, Mortenson, Wilson LHPs MIller, Breslow, Morales Which 7 of these 11 will be in Boston? And can we get some non-40-man assets for the leftovers, or include them in a package? Is this the time to sell high on Miller? Phillies wanted Uehara. Morales as the 5th starter removes one from that equation. The Ellsbury trade will most likely also remove another....
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Post by wildcardwillie on Dec 6, 2012 15:25:10 GMT -5
If nothing wows us I believe Morales is a solid option may hit a wall a little later in the season but by then you can see where your at and make a trade if you feel necessasary
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Post by soxfanatic on Dec 6, 2012 15:28:55 GMT -5
Jon Morosi@jonmorosi Source: Koji Uehara's deal with the #RedSox has $4.25MM base salary.
Kinda high, but hey!
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Post by elguapo on Dec 6, 2012 15:34:41 GMT -5
High!? That's a steal. Probably hefty on incentives but that works for me.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Dec 6, 2012 16:04:05 GMT -5
Jon Morosi@jonmorosi Source: Koji Uehara's deal with the #RedSox has $4.25MM base salary. Kinda high, but hey! Broxton got 3/21. Affeldt 3/18. Joel freaking Peralta got 2/6. 1/4.25 is fine/good.
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Post by brianthetaoist on Dec 6, 2012 16:07:17 GMT -5
It's a reasonable amount of money, and who cares anyway? The Sox aren't going to bump up against the limit this year, and, really, I'd rather see the money go to the players instead of into Sox profits.
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Post by borisman on Dec 6, 2012 16:45:24 GMT -5
What's up with Uehara's K rate? I remember him with Baltimore and didn't think he threw all that hard. I know you don't need a 98 mph heater to get swing and misses but that's just curious. His fly ball rate may cause some problems with the short (haha) left in Fenway. I hope he fares well. I see him as a 7th inning guy. We already have a few of those unless there are some trades in the works.
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Post by Guidas on Dec 6, 2012 16:47:56 GMT -5
Love this move.
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Post by bluechip on Dec 6, 2012 17:03:24 GMT -5
What's up with Uehara's K rate? I remember him with Baltimore and didn't think he threw all that hard. I know you don't need a 98 mph heater to get swing and misses but that's just curious. His fly ball rate may cause some problems with the short (haha) left in Fenway. I hope he fares well. I see him as a 7th inning guy. We already have a few of those unless there are some trades in the works. I think he is the 8th inning guy and will be closing when Bailey inevitably gets hurt. He does only throw 88-89, but that fastball splitter combination has been great for him.
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Post by jmei on Dec 6, 2012 17:10:51 GMT -5
What's up with Uehara's K rate? I remember him with Baltimore and didn't think he threw all that hard. I know you don't need a 98 mph heater to get swing and misses but that's just curious. His fly ball rate may cause some problems with the short (haha) left in Fenway. I hope he fares well. I see him as a 7th inning guy. We already have a few of those unless there are some trades in the works. Uehara is the fifth best relief pitcher in baseball over the last three years, and you think he's a 7th inning guy? He might not be the closer, but he instantly becomes the best reliever on the team.
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Dec 6, 2012 17:12:00 GMT -5
Not only have his numbers been fantastic, but they've been fantastic in Baltimore and Texas, places that don't do pitchers any favors. Great pickup.
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Post by borisman on Dec 6, 2012 17:22:16 GMT -5
What's up with Uehara's K rate? I remember him with Baltimore and didn't think he threw all that hard. I know you don't need a 98 mph heater to get swing and misses but that's just curious. His fly ball rate may cause some problems with the short (haha) left in Fenway. I hope he fares well. I see him as a 7th inning guy. We already have a few of those unless there are some trades in the works. Uehara is the fifth best relief pitcher in baseball over the last three years, and you think he's a 7th inning guy? He might not be the closer, but he instantly becomes the best reliever on the team. It's some big ifs but IF Bailey doesn't get traded and IF Bard returns to some form of his old self and IF Aceves isn't traded and isn't in the rotation then yeah, he's likely a 7th inning guy. Do you think they got him to close? I know his contract says otherwise but unless there are some trades and if all hope is lost with Bailey and Bard then most of his innings will be pitched in the 7th.
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Post by jmei on Dec 6, 2012 17:43:44 GMT -5
He might pitch a lot in the 7th inning, but the phrase "7th inning guy" usually implies something like the third or fourth best pitcher in the bullpen, and when he's been healthy, Uehara has been far better than any other Red Sox reliever (with the potential exception of Tazawa).
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Post by elguapo on Dec 6, 2012 17:48:09 GMT -5
Semantics .... he's our Relief Ace!
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Post by bluechip on Dec 6, 2012 18:22:37 GMT -5
The Fangraphs article discussing the signing actually says: The Red Sox have found their seventh inning man. The club signed 38-year-old right-hander Koji Uehara to a one-year deal with a $4.25 million base salary Thursday. www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/red-sox-sign-koji-uehara/The article then goes on to say: But Uehara’s lack of velocity merely lowers his ceiling from baseball’s best reliever to perhaps its best setup man, capable of posting ERAs and FIPs under 3.00 year-in and year-out.
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Post by Steve Henley on Dec 6, 2012 19:01:09 GMT -5
Great signing. If he stays healthy he'll either help the Sox compete for a playoff spot down the stretch or net a decent prospect at the deadline.
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steveofbradenton
Veteran
Watching Spring Training, the FCL, and the Florida State League
Posts: 1,818
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Post by steveofbradenton on Dec 6, 2012 20:13:27 GMT -5
Nice addition.
What pleases me is we now have an extra chip to move in a bigger deal. NO.....not Koji, but we now have extra redundancy in our bullpen.
I wouldn't be surprised if Cherington pulls off a trade in the next couple of weeks moving folks like Salty and one or two relievers (and maybe a prospect) for one of our other needs.
I'm proud of Ben not losing any of our top prospects, and at least at this moment, our 2nd round draft choice.
Without a doubt we need, at least, one starter. There are still quite a few possibilities in free agency, but he has the ability and flexibility to trade instead and NOT, thank God, have to trade one of the top 5 to 6 kids maturing and getting ready to issue our next great Red Sox team (maybe in 2014).
Nice job Ben. We (may) have a shut-down (?) set of closers for the end of a game. (now only if Bard became Bard again!)
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Dec 6, 2012 21:01:40 GMT -5
It's worth mentioning that nearly all of his innings in 2012 were low leverage.
Hi/Med/Lo by year 2012: 2.1/7.1/26.1 2011: 12.2/18.2/33.2 2010: 9/14/21 2009: 4/38.1/24.1
and here's hi/med/lo by percentage of innings 2012: 6.4%/20.4%/73.1% 2011: 20.8%/28.7%/51.8% 2010: 20.5%/31.8%/47.7% 2009: 6.0%/57.5%/36.5%
Of course, he was on a team with Joe Nathan closing, Mike Adam as the setup man, and Alexi Ogando and Robbie Ross also available for key middle innings. But that said, following his meltdown following his trade to Texas in 2011 (remember the playoffs??), he hasn't really been trusted like a setup man.
I still really like this move, but I don't think it's a given that he gets the 8th out of the box.
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Post by bluechip on Dec 6, 2012 21:03:05 GMT -5
This signing makes me:
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Post by Matt Huegel on Dec 7, 2012 12:24:15 GMT -5
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Post by tjb21 on Dec 7, 2012 13:27:07 GMT -5
Those stats are unreal! I do like the signing and think he will fit very nicely in the 7th inning or the 8th if Tazawa is resting and Bard remains in last seasons form.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Dec 7, 2012 13:42:41 GMT -5
It's worth mentioning that nearly all of his innings in 2012 were low leverage. Hi/Med/Lo by year 2012: 2.1/7.1/26.1 2011: 12.2/18.2/33.2 2010: 9/14/21 2009: 4/38.1/24.1 and here's hi/med/lo by percentage of innings 2012: 6.4%/20.4%/73.1% 2011: 20.8%/28.7%/51.8% 2010: 20.5%/31.8%/47.7% 2009: 6.0%/57.5%/36.5% Of course, he was on a team with Joe Nathan closing, Mike Adam as the setup man, and Alexi Ogando and Robbie Ross also available for key middle innings. But that said, following his meltdown following his trade to Texas in 2011 (remember the playoffs??), he hasn't really been trusted like a setup man. I still really like this move, but I don't think it's a given that he gets the 8th out of the box. So a swing-and-miss on my part with including '09 - he was a starter that year. Completely forgot about that.
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