(Update) Orioles reach agreement w/ Taiwanese LHP Wei-Yin Chen

[Lucky Jim]

Good, I guess? Don't know much about the guy (don't think anyone else does either!). His stats in the NPBL and Olympics look pretty good. At least on the surface, he seems to be a better option than Tillman or Bergesen.

The best part about these international guys is that they are relatively cheap. It seems like DD thinks he's found a new undervalued asset to milk. He's taking a novel approach this offseason, have to give him that.

Love that he's focusing on non-posting fee guys.

[Sports Guy]

It's time to consider Tillman for the bullpen. It's gotten close to "cut bait" time with him so I don't see how more time in AAA will do him any good. He needs to learn how to get MLB batters out and the best way for him to do that is in the MLB.

Matusz can start in AAA. But it will be really interesting to see how he does in ST. It'll actually be refreshing to have something relevant to follow in ST this year.

Tillman needs to be working with Peterson.

Let him be the guy to really evaluate him and get his mechanics right.

If you do that and he still doesn't look like a rotation candidate, then so be it...But I am not putting him in the pen until that happens.

[TakebackOPACY]

I know Roch reads this site, so let me say I enjoy his blog and he seems like a good guy. However, he has very little insight into the team itself. Wada will get every chance to start. His stuff is that of a starter and he's been a starter exclusively in Japan, unlike Koji who had relieved for years before he came over here. He's also younger than Koji was when he came over here. Wada will get every chance to make the rotation.

Agreed 100%.

Eh, maybe there's truth to that. But in this case I think the speculation the way it was posted is a valid possibility. I agree with you, RZNJ, that Wada will be given a chance to start. That doesn't mean he automatically comes out of spring training as the #3-#5. Right now I'd say he's anywhere from their #4 to #8. Is Hunter given "every chance" to start? Eveland? Arrieta? Britton?

On a separate note, where does this put our interest level in Jackson? Have we inched wider on packages we'd accept in return for Guthrie?

[Sports Guy]

http://npbtracker.com/data/player.php?p_id=112

[ccbird]

I think Guthrie, Britton, and Chen pretty much have spots locked up. The other 2 will be up for grabs. I would guess Hunter, Arietta, and Wada have the inside track on 2 of those 3 spots. Eveland and Matusz could steal one spot away with impressive springs.

I also think as long as Eveland doesn't blow up in ST he will have a BP spot and if Hunter or Wada doesn't win a rotation spot they also will have a BP spot.

I guess to make a prediction I'll go with

Guthrie
Britton
Chen
Hunter
Wada


BP:
Johnson
Gregg
Stroop
Eveland
Patton
O Day
Simon


That would mean Arrieta, Matusz, Bergy, Berken, Rapada all miss the cut and I think that is far from a given. I think all of these guys will have a legit chance to win a spot. 3 or 4 spots on the staff are probably up for grabs. Vandenhurk, Phillips, Tillman, or anyone else I can't think of off the top of my head all seem like extreme longshots to make it out of ST.

[Lester Freamon]

The difference is that Koji was in a rotation that consisted of Guthrie, Koji, Simon, Hendrickson, and Eaton. I think Wada will have to earn his way into the rotation.

Good point. Not saying he won't have to earn it. I just think he has an "all things being equal" advantage over guys like Hunter and Matusz. Hunter pitched a great deal out of the pen last year and Matusz can easily go to AAA. Also, I'm not 100% certain of Arrieta's elbow health or even Chen's knee. However, according to KLaw - the part that Mweb posted - his velocity was ticking back up toward the end of last season. His decline in K's is concerning but I imagine, or I hope anyway, that it is a correlation to his ailing knee.

[Brendan25]

The difference is that Koji was in a rotation that consisted of Guthrie, Koji, Simon, Hendrickson, and Eaton. I think Wada will have to earn his way into the rotation.

I was going to post the same thing. Koji was considered a lock as the #2 or even #1 pitcher when he joined this team because of the lack of depth behind him. The rotation constructed now is way different then it was at the time Koji was signed.

Speaking of Koji, how much do you think he would love to come back to Baltimore and pitch with his old friends plus Wada and Chen?

[dan-O]

http://npbtracker.com/data/player.php?p_id=112

See, I love that his curve is that slow. He's going to fool a lot of hitters dropping a 69MPH looper in there. Granted, he has to be careful with it, but I think it will be effective.

[Fan4Life]

Eh, maybe there's truth to that. But in this case I think the speculation the way it was posted is a valid possibility. I agree with you, RZNJ, that Wada will be given a chance to start. That doesn't mean he automatically comes out of spring training as the #3-#5. Right now I'd say he's anywhere from their #4 to #8. Is Hunter given "every chance" to start? Eveland? Arrieta? Britton?

On a separate note, where does this put our interest level in Jackson? Have we inched wider on packages we'd accept in return for Guthrie?

Good point. Not saying he won't have to earn it. I just think he has an "all things being equal" advantage over guys like Hunter and Matusz. Hunter pitched a great deal out of the pen last year and Matusz can easily go to AAA. Also, I'm not 100% certain of Arrieta's elbow health or even Chen's knee. However, according to KLaw - the part that Mweb posted - his velocity was ticking back up toward the end of last season. His decline in K's is concerning but I imagine, or I hope anyway, that it is a correlation to his ailing knee.

As was already mentioned.. part of the reason Wada signed with us was because he would be starting. So any speculation of opening day rotation that doesn't have Wada and Chen in it is not valid.

[Nick The Stick]

Dan Connolly @danconnollysun

The #Orioles signing of Chen Wei-yin is for three guaranteed years

Initially heard Chen's value was $4 to $5M per year -- makes sense (w Wada getting just over $8M for 2) but dont know yet if that's deal

[Lucky Jim]

As was already mentioned.. part of the reason Wada signed with us was because he would be starting. So any speculation of opening day rotation that doesn't have Wada and Chen in it is not valid.

Whatevs.

[Sports Guy]

I am not sure Wada and Koji can be compared. Sounds like Koji throws a little harder and he has that out pitch..the splitter.

Wada does seem like a good control/command guy like Koji was though.

[Brendan25]

Dan Connolly @danconnollysun

The #Orioles signing of Chen Wei-yin is for three guaranteed years

Initially heard Chen's value was $4 to $5M per year -- makes sense (w Wada getting just over $8M for 2) but dont know yet if that's deal

I'm fine with that deal if its 3 years, 4 mil per.

[Fan4Life]

Whatevs.

Indeed.

[Lucky Jim]

I am not sure Wada and Koji can be compared. Sounds like Koji throws a little harder and he has that out pitch..the splitter.

Wada does seem like a good control/command guy like Koji was though.

Definitely not the same. For one, Wada is a lefty. Second, Kojii had the splitter. There's a difference, to be sure. I think, however, that Wada's size may hinder him in the same way that Koji's stamina hindered him. After all, Wada is all of 5'10 and 170 pounds. I also think that this is the most likely (but not only possible) outcome:

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.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index...tsuyoshi-wada/