Best Free Agent Signing: Koji?

by brooklynlovesorioles on May 15, 2009 10:08 AM EDT

Anyone else see this post on Jorge Says No!? They're debating the best free agent signing of this off season and geuss what?

It's Koji!

I love Koji as much as the next guy or gal, but it's interesting how differently you can feel about a player when looking at his numbers as opposed to watching him in games. Koji has had some bad luck with the bullpen and has absolutely kept the team in games.

But I would not necessarily say he's our ace of the future. Frankly, I want a guy who can take those slim leads into the ninth inning. Not someone who looks gassed after 6.

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He is in his mid-30's

and has been serviceable…let’s not blow this thing out of proportion.

Mood about O's rotation: Depressed : (

by sickuvitall on May 15, 2009 10:22 AM EDT reply actions

So is he going to win Rookie of the Year this year?

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on May 15, 2009 10:23 AM EDT reply actions

we certainly have our share of candidates

"I’m sure glad he didn’t try to bunt." - DD on Melmo's game winning double, 6/17

by daveh873 on May 15, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions

If he's really a 4.00 ERA pitcher

Then this was a fantastic signing.

I still have concerns about how he will fare once the scouting reports on him get around. And there are definitely some legitimate reasons to be concerned about his durability (in game and over a long season).

But I certainly have no complaints so far.

by dkdc on May 15, 2009 10:56 AM EDT reply actions

Koji is for real I think. Certainly the scouting reports is an issue, and as silver says below his xFIP is 4.75, which is high, but his FIP is 4.05… which just goes to show that Koji is a fly-ball pitcher, with a FB% of 54.9%!!!

This clincher… his tRA is 3.58, that’s amazing. And tRA I suspect will be a better statistic than FIP… which just seems so limited.

by math_geek on May 15, 2009 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions

You TOTALLY earned your moniker with that comment!

Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.

by duck on May 15, 2009 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Koji's been a bit lucky

His xFIP is 4.75. And I agree with the durability concerns.

The bottom line is that if he can eat some innings for us until the young guys are ready, than he’s worth it. And so far, he’s done just that.

I can’t see how you can call anyone the best free agent signing, though, unless he contributes to his team winning the pennant at some point in his contract. I don’t see that happening with Koji.

by silverstadium on May 15, 2009 11:15 AM EDT reply actions

the other two pitching Stats… xFIP and tRA like Koji. He’s a fly-ball pitcher… which means he’s going to be nailed by xFIP. But remember, when only 18% of his balls in play are line-drives… he’s entitled to a few foibles.

by math_geek on May 15, 2009 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions

I guess it depends on what you mean by best

I don’t think Koji was the best signing in the off season, but if you are taking into account cost vs effectiveness as well as relative value to the team, maybe there is an argument.

Koji isn’t great, but he’s been quite good. He might not last down the stretch, but so far he has kept the Orioles in the game almost every time and at a pretty low cost relatively. As far as value to the O’s, imagine the rotation this year without him? It’d be even more putrid.

I’m smart, not a dummy. ~Adam Jones

by Stacey on May 15, 2009 11:46 AM EDT reply actions

Koji and gas

Koji’s been a reliever for at least 2 years. He threw, what, 87 IP last year?

Koji getting through the 6th is to be expected right now. Buying him an extra day of rest (like this weekend) will help.

We honestly didn’t expect someone who’s been a mid-30s reliever to go 8 IP deep every game right out of ST, did we?

Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.

by duck on May 15, 2009 12:47 PM EDT reply actions

small sample size

by pipkin on May 15, 2009 2:34 PM EDT reply actions

it’s getting larger, and I’m getting tired of the small sample size argument.

It’s the sample that we have.

by math_geek on May 15, 2009 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions

what I'm really saying

Is that it’s foolish to judge free agent signings after a couple months of ball when some of these contracts are 8 years long. How will we know how good or bad the Tex or Burnett signings were until at least well into those deals. Koji got a two-year deal, and if he has a good year this year we can say that he had a good year. If Tex goes on to win like three MVP awards in his time with the Yankees we’ll probably look pretty foolish if we long ago declared Koji the best signing of the winter.

by pipkin on May 16, 2009 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions