Orioles Sign Japanese Lefty Wada
by Eat More Esskay on Dec 13, 2011 11:09 AM EST
in News & Rumors
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PrintEarlier this morning, news splashed from the usual suspects that the Orioles were closing in on a deal with a left-handed starter from Japan, Tsuyoshi Wada. He has just agreed to terms on a 2 year/$8.15M contract with the Orioles, a deal first reported by Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. The contract reportedly has a $5 million option for 2014.
Wada is a 30 year old who's been pitching for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in NPB. Wada made 26 starts for the Hawks, pitching to a 1.51 ERA over 184.2 IP in 2011, which averages out to a little over 7 innings per start. That includes 168 strikeouts against only 40 walks. Patrick Newman of Fangraphs sums up his pitching: "a 86-87mph fastball, a good circle change, and a solid slider."
He sounds like a crafty lefty junkballer type. Newman says this is a Dallas Braden-type but the prototypical pitcher in that mold to me is Jamie Moyer. Wada is not ancient, the deal is short and the dollar signs are not large. He gets the opportunity to come over and test himself against the best baseball players in the world and the Orioles hopefully end up with one fewer question mark in the starting rotation.
What do you think about this signing?
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I know he is 26
but he has a 5.5 K/9 rate in Japan. How low will that be in the MLB? Not sure you can succeed at a 3 K/9 rate. Would rather them spend that money on Jorge Soler
by mdterps0325 on Dec 13, 2011 11:26 AM EST up reply actions
i doubt it is one or the other
so I am not too worried. I have no problem with stocking up on pitching.
they are both looking at
similar deals. 4-6 yrs, 20ish million. Honestly would rather sign Malholm than Chen. Good GB pitcher. But then again he could have been on this team instead of Dana Eveland, who I refuse to even give a chance to prove himself
by mdterps0325 on Dec 13, 2011 11:41 AM EST up reply actions
funny
i don’t really see anything Malholm could do in the AL East that Eveland couldn’t. I don’t see the O’s breaking the bank for Chen so if another team out bids them so be it and I won’t be upset. Soler seems like a good pickup so I would be in for him as well.
As someone who is a proponent of green economics...
I really hope the team invests in Soler energy.
I'm not confused brother! I just took picture of my face, and it's deffo not my confused face. - Waj
by Christopher Claxton on Dec 13, 2011 2:31 PM EST up reply actions
Love it.
Even with minimal success (i.e. eating innings and staying healthy) this is a big win. We signed him for far less than any other semi-competent SP on the market. And there’s always the possibilty that he is relly good and we trade him for a nice profit.
I'd put it this way; if an offense is a sugar cookie, on base percentage is the pastry part of the cookie, power is the icing, and baserunning is like the jimmies that they sprinkle onto the icing. - Bill James
Good signing.
I am disappointed that his name is not “Lefty Wada” though.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
My Bermanesque suggestion is Hotta Unda Da Wada
"So I said, 'Looks like they've finally got Ogea in the pen. I wonder if the glove fits.' I thought I was going to get fired." - Mike Flanagan, RIP
by Eat More Esskay on Dec 13, 2011 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
If he played for Boston
He’d be dirty Wada.
"I became an optimist when I discovered that I wasn't going to win any more games by being anything else." - EW
by ThreeRunHomer on Dec 13, 2011 6:29 PM EST up reply actions
Here's a little cold water
http://www.npbtracker.com/2011/10/scouting-wada/
With his fastball velocity living the 87-88 range, Wada will not have the margin for error that a pure power pitcher might. If he has trouble locating any of his pitches, he will not be able to blow anyone away with his heater. As a starter, he could find it difficult to get through tougher MLB lineups two or three times. Furthermore, as with any pitcher making the leap from NPB to MLB, the heavier workload will be a question mark.
But in this same article, he’s described as a “diligent student of the game”, always studying scouting reports on players and such. This guy ultimately concludes 4th-5th starter in MLB and that it’ll be up to the team to figure out the best way of using him. Of course, a 4th-5th starter for anyone else is a 2nd-3rd starter for the Orioles.
"So I said, 'Looks like they've finally got Ogea in the pen. I wonder if the glove fits.' I thought I was going to get fired." - Mike Flanagan, RIP
by Eat More Esskay on Dec 13, 2011 11:36 AM EST reply actions
What is the heavier workload from NPB to MLB?
He threw 182 innings last year. Also, don’t they make pitchers over there throw a ton of innings? Maybe I’m wrong about that.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
They have a 6 day rotation
Where in the majors ppl do 5.
by mdterps0325 on Dec 13, 2011 11:42 AM EST up reply actions
26 starts max per year for his career
Also?
This is his wife, Kasumi Nakane:
"End of season like this, to make Boston go home sad, crying, I’ll take it all day."—Robert Andino
by zknower on Dec 13, 2011 11:49 AM EST up reply actions 8 recs
Awesome
New hottest Os wife?
Too bad she probably won’t be attending many games.
by Holymittens on Dec 13, 2011 12:03 PM EST up reply actions
or maybe they move here
and she becomes a love interest on Homeland.
Hey, it could happen.
"End of season like this, to make Boston go home sad, crying, I’ll take it all day."—Robert Andino
SUCK IT, ANNA BENSON!!!
I'm not confused brother! I just took picture of my face, and it's deffo not my confused face. - Waj
by Christopher Claxton on Dec 13, 2011 2:32 PM EST up reply actions
I would do things with her that my wife would not approve of.
Also, she’s a mom!
by Tezcatlipoca on Dec 13, 2011 7:02 PM EST up reply actions
Why not?
He seems reasonably inexpensive, and if he doesn’t end up having the stuff to get people out two or three times, we can always put him in the bullpen.
not sure his frame or stuff profiles well in the bullpen
Koji had previous success as a closer, but Wada is a thin lefty who throws 86 with a variety of breaking stuff. That generally doesn’t work well when you have to get up and down every day as opposed to having five days off.
I still like the signing; it’s a good gamble and all the O’s are out is money if it doesn’t work out. But I don’t think the bullpen is a viable option.
by AndrewTorrez on Dec 13, 2011 11:59 AM EST up reply actions
Okajima is a thin lefty who throws 86 with a variety of breaking stuff
he seemed to do just fine in the pen other than when he pitched against the O’s.
I am eating you, motherfucker. You cannot hurt me. - PhilR8
See, just when I thought you were gonna go with...
“a thin lefty who throws 86….he’ll fit right in next to that noodle-arm weakling Matusz”, you go the other way and say something nice about the guy. I swear, just when you think you know someone.
‘Contrairiwise,’ continued Tweedledee, ‘if it was so, it might
be; and if it were so, it would be: but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s
logic.’ — Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll
by TerroristFistJab on Dec 13, 2011 3:48 PM EST up reply actions
Not that the O's have a history of turning scrawny Japanese starters...
… into ridiculously quality MLB relievers throwing junk for profit.
by Tezcatlipoca on Dec 13, 2011 7:05 PM EST up reply actions
I like the move
Now Koji has a friend for when he comes back.
by Holymittens on Dec 13, 2011 12:03 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I was going to say
that when Koji comes back he’ll have someone on the team to talk to.
The person who introduced Andrew to baseball and the O's
Wada is a great pitcher
He’s smart and he makes the most of his abilities. He was truly outstanding last year.
Chen is younger and throws harder but he’s a bit weak mentally and he’s not as good as Wada.
by Omigawa on Dec 13, 2011 12:23 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Do you follow these players?
If so, any additional specific information you can give would be helpful.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
I'm not him
but I know a bit about the NPB. Remember Koji’s fast ball tops at 90 but he gets a ton of strike-outs? Don’t be surprised if Wada does the same thing. He maintains the K/9 ratio of 8 to 9 throughout his career in the NPB. He hides the ball well.
Chen is fragile. He is losing speed because of injuries. His K/9 this year is under 6. He doesn’t have any breaking stuff to speak of.
Thank you.
Are you aware of any websites out there that have advanced statistical information on either of these guys? Things such as average velocity of pitches, contact rates, etc.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
http://www.npbtracker.com/data/player.php?p_id=198
These is no such a site as Fangraphs in Japanese and all the potential data are not available in English.
Wada is also a guy who does not falter under pressure, he was fantastic in the playoffs this year. He also was the 2010 MVP so you’re landing a pretty good player, you just have to hope he’ll be able to get accustomed to the culture and the differences in the training.
by Omigawa on Dec 13, 2011 2:26 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
This is very helpful.
I can’t seem to get the velocity charts to show up on my work computer. I’ll sift through it when I get home.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
I'm on board
Eh, anything new to spice things up, even if the fastball is lackluster. That seems to be the big concern in my mind. Would love to see more Uehara as well… and that wife… wow.
If that tweet is true (more years and $) than I say no. Mostly because of the years.
How can you commit to a long contract with someone coming from Japan?
I'd put it this way; if an offense is a sugar cookie, on base percentage is the pastry part of the cookie, power is the icing, and baserunning is like the jimmies that they sprinkle onto the icing. - Bill James
by J(O's)elskIL on Dec 13, 2011 1:32 PM EST up reply actions
3 years/$18M would be more years/dollars but still not exorbitant.
I don’t know what kind of money they’re talking with Wei-Yin, but if he was on the Yu/Dice-K level he’d have probably gone through the posting process instead of being an FA.
I would agree that if we’re talking 5/50 or 4/40 or something, that’s “do not want” territory, but it’s not necessarily up to that level yet.
"So I said, 'Looks like they've finally got Ogea in the pen. I wonder if the glove fits.' I thought I was going to get fired." - Mike Flanagan, RIP
by Eat More Esskay on Dec 13, 2011 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
He's 26 so there's that.
But the limtied numbers I see from b-r don’t show much difference between Chen and Lefty Wada. Chen’s ERA is lower, yes, but he gives up basically the same amount of hits (way more HRs, though) and walks and strikes out fewer batters per nine.
I really wish there were advanced stats available for these guys.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
Nope
He is a FA, because he is taiwanese, and signed a three year deal in Japan, and did not have to play for 9 years to be a FA. Its kind of like Cespedes or Soler or something here, they do not have 6 years of major league team control guarenteed
I don't know,
Not sure if this is the best use of $8M, as I would rather spend a ton of money in Latin America before the CBA limits kick in (next July). The fear that I have is that he will be a 5 inning starter/long reliever, which if true isn’t the best use of eight million dollars.
If you look at those UZR ratings or whatever
to the best of my knowledge
The pool for international free agents is up to age 22. Guys 23 and over, like many Japanese and Cuban players, are not subject to the IFA spending restrictions. Given that there will be these limits next July, a guy like Miguel Angel Sano will likely be more highly sought after now because the market isn’t capped now. And so that is where I would want to better utilize the $8M.
If you look at those UZR ratings or whatever
or Soler?
Or does he not count, because he played professional ball in Cuba. I think that is actually probably a requirement too, right? isn’t it just a restriction on international amateurs? Otherwise that is a dumb effin rule
I like Soler.
Much better than Cespedes for a whole bunch of reasons. From what I’m reading, though, a bunch of teams have the same feeling.
Fangraphs weighs in
They like the signing. He isn’t much a pitcher but his contract is cheap enough that he doesn’t he need to do much to be serviceable.
But most importantly, the number — $8.15 million over two years — means that there are all sorts of ways that Wada can be productive for the Orioles.
Even if he ends up a reliever, he has a chance to return more than a win and a half over the next two years. 63 relievers have managed that feat, including some relievers that are somewhere between spot starter, long reliever and LOOGY status like Phil Coke. In a market place that awarded 32-year-old two-pitch reliever Jeremy Affeldt with a $5 million contract for the next season, Wada’s deal can’t be seen as terrible. And Koji Uehara shows that a Japanese reliever with a sub-90 MPH fastball and some durability issues has an even higher ceiling (2.7 WAR since 2010) than that.
And then, of course, there’s the chance that he can be even a league-average starter for 150 innings a year. Of the 74 pitchers that have put in 300 innings since 2010, only two — Bronson Arroyo and Nick Blackburn — failed to put up a win and a half.
Kevin Gregg-"You obviously haven't acquired my taste for pitching yet"
Hooray! Fangraphs finally likes an Orioles move!
This is after slamming DD for even talking about acquiring Huston Street and then, less than a week later, lauding the A’s, another rebuilding team, for doing the exact same thing.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
The reason it's good for the A's is because the Coliseum can make any pitcher look good
esp. one who is a flyball pitcher. They can inflate his trade value and then flip him unlike the O’s, because he’d get killed in OPACY
I'd put it this way; if an offense is a sugar cookie, on base percentage is the pastry part of the cookie, power is the icing, and baserunning is like the jimmies that they sprinkle onto the icing. - Bill James
by J(O's)elskIL on Dec 13, 2011 4:24 PM EST up reply actions
But how can GMs not know this or take it into account?
I just can’t believe that people who are paid to think about baseball player values for a living would ignore park factors.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
Maybe that's why we didn't sign him and Oakland did.
I'd put it this way; if an offense is a sugar cookie, on base percentage is the pastry part of the cookie, power is the icing, and baserunning is like the jimmies that they sprinkle onto the icing. - Bill James
by J(O's)elskIL on Dec 13, 2011 4:46 PM EST up reply actions
I get why he wouldn't be a fit for the O's
What I don’t get is why other GMs will be fooled into thinking Street is a better pitcher than he is mostly due to the Coliseum’s offense-suppressing characteristics.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
I don't get why a GM would trade Mike Napoli for Vernon Wells
or Zach Wheeler for 2 months of Carlos Beltran or sign Kevin Gregg to a 2/$6MM deal or any number of bonehead moves.
People will believe what they want to believe.
I'd put it this way; if an offense is a sugar cookie, on base percentage is the pastry part of the cookie, power is the icing, and baserunning is like the jimmies that they sprinkle onto the icing. - Bill James
by J(O's)elskIL on Dec 13, 2011 5:03 PM EST up reply actions
I don't get why a GM would trade Mike Napoli for Vernon Wells
Mike Scioscia says you don’t understand the value of catcher defense and the greatness of Jeff Mathis.
Kevin Gregg-"You obviously haven't acquired my taste for pitching yet"
The GMs responsible for the above bone-headedness no longer have jobs.
Except Sabean. But he is pretty much in a league of his own these days.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
Like everyone else, fangraphs has their objectivity clouded sometimes
If you look at those UZR ratings or whatever
Perhaps more importantly, Fangraphs isn't a hive mind.
The writers obviously have similar mindsets, but they can have differing opinions. That said, I have no idea if two different writers wrote those Huston Street articles.
I really like this signing, it is nice to just see SOMETHING happen...
When they look up from the gutter where their dreams have gone to die they will see only orange and black. -EME
Sign everyone
The O’s need pitching volume. 5 more spots to fill to meet the bare minimum.
"I became an optimist when I discovered that I wasn't going to win any more games by being anything else." - EW
If "Dirty" Wada sticks
would O’s fans sing “love that dirty Wada” after every good inning, or would that be considered too Boston-ish?
"I became an optimist when I discovered that I wasn't going to win any more games by being anything else." - EW
And his filthy, dirty wife...
Such a dirty girl…
by Tezcatlipoca on Dec 13, 2011 7:14 PM EST up reply actions
Looks like he has good control.
If he can adjust to the MLB ball in Spring Training, could be interesting.
by Tezcatlipoca on Dec 13, 2011 8:23 PM EST up reply actions
Why does his uniform have "Softbank Hawks" in English?
Or is hawks a Japanese word too?
"I became an optimist when I discovered that I wasn't going to win any more games by being anything else." - EW
by ThreeRunHomer on Dec 13, 2011 8:29 PM EST up reply actions
Why would teams in Japan have uniforms with words in English and not Japanese.
I think that’s the question.
Mother, did it need to be so high.
Marketing.
In a lot of Asia, English is “cool”.
by Tezcatlipoca on Dec 13, 2011 10:11 PM EST up reply actions
I think it's tradition, actually.
Japanese professional teams started off playing against US servicemen, so it would make sense that they would use English lettering.
Ulysses S. Grant
was the president of the US when the Japanese started playing baseball. Now, which servicemen are you talking about?
I'm a bit foggy on the details.
According to Wikipedia, Nippon Profession Baseball started in the 1920, but it wasn’t an actual professional league until 1936.
I don’t have my copy of The Empire Strikes Out on me, so I dunno where to find that data. If you haven’t read that, you should definitely check it out. Great historical baseball read.
Thanks for your recommendation
but no NPB team has ever played against a team made up of US servicemen.
No, you’re right. But I’m pretty sure that the profession teams evolved from club teams that started out by playing against US servicemen.
Which professional team
are you talking about? By US servicemen, do you mean after World War II?
There were professional, major league baseball teams in Japan before the war and US servicement had next to nothing to do with it. Ordinarily, I dislike Wikepedia, but this is OK:
Ya doesn’t mean “fielding”, BTW, but only field.
Sorry
For some reason, I flunked linkage in the previous post. Here it is.
But...
They started playing baseball before that, and had college teams.
Names on uniforms are a relatively recent phenonomenon. Started in the 60s or so, I think.
His name on the stadium scoreboard is in Japanese, though.
Lefty O'Doul
was inducted to the Japanese Hall Fame. The first NPB team, which some people call “the Yankees of the NPB,” is named the Giants because of O’Doul’s recommendation. The Giants in English letters. It’s out of respect for O’Doul and tradition.
I've been think a lot of this signing
and I guess I’m OK with it. I’m not convinced his stuff is going to get it done in the AL East and like many people have said I can’t really see him stepping into the rotation where he would have to go through opposing teams line ups multiple times.
That said, we gave up nothing to get him and if he has a chance to give us something like the production we got out of Koji coming out of the BP then this will look like a great signing.
http://actionontheice.blogspot.com/
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