Orioles In Talks With Korean Reliever Chong Tae-Hyon

[MrOrange82]

No I have been to Korea on tour and they do eat insects, in their markets, and have monkey on a stick, as well as eating dogs and cats. I make no social value judgement on their cuisine, it's quite good. I usually ate in the local restaurants becuse the food was so good and so much cheaper than the tourist traps. But I declined the dogs and cats and bugs. De gustibus.

It's actually a very, very tiny percentage of the population that eats dogs with any regularity. The vast majority of Koreans hasn't even tried it. Also, saying "dogs" makes it sound as though Korean foodies run by their local Petsmart's before sitting down to dinner. It's basically only one, non-pet breed that ever becomes food.

[Slappy]

Wow, has this thread gone to the dogs...

[Bradysburns]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chong_Tae-Hyon

Bro-Chong's numbers look impressive. Bring him here. Let this freak show begin!

[LA2]

Looking at those videos, it seems to me that, once you get used to the angle of delivery, the pitches themselves are not anything special. In fact, they seem to flatten out and home into the middle of the plate pretty consistently. I wonder what his lefty-righty BAA split is. The last two seasons he has more appearances than IPs, and so I guess he's a righty-specialist, unfortunately. Like having Chad Bradford again, but with more K's.

[scOtt]

I have kinda limited access on my phone. Is this official yet?

[Can_of_corn]

I have kinda limited access on my phone. Is this official yet?

Not yet, Friday maybe. Still has not completed physical.

[TonySoprano]

I have kinda limited access on my phone. Is this official yet?

Not yet. He has to see Angelos' doctors

If you're anticipating a press conference Wednesday to announce the signing of Korean pitcher Chong Tae-Hyon, you can stop waiting for it.

The holiday week is complicating the process.

Though the Orioles are finalizing a deal with Chong, they still need to schedule every examination that's part of the physical and wait for the results. Good luck getting that done by Wednesday, which had been the club's original target date.

It's possible that the Orioles could send out a release Wednesday - and there's a better chance that it happens Friday - but a press conference won't be held on either day. I'm also hearing that an announcement isn't imminent.

The signing isn't in jeopardy. It's just not a normal week to conduct business. And Chong needs to visit more than one doctor.

Roch

[Can_of_corn]

Roch found his stats. His FIP is through the roof compared to his ERA. Decent GB rate.

Edit- I was right about him being a right handed specialist, BAA RH-.203 LH-.292

http://www.mykbo.net/statistics

ERA 1.48

FIP 3.21

WHIP 1.24

I officially do not like this signing. Too many walks, not enough K's and only useful against right handers.

[MarylandAaron]

Roch found his stats. His FIP is through the roof compared to his ERA. Decent GB rate.

Edit- I was right about him being a right handed specialist, BAA RH-.203 LH-.292

http://www.mykbo.net/statistics

ERA 1.48

FIP 3.21

WHIP 1.24

I officially do not like this signing. Too many walks, not enough K's and only useful against right handers.

His K rate is actually solid, especially for a GB guy, but yeah a 4.12 BB/9 rate is not good. Maybe he could be used like a Chad Bradford-type guy for us, except more walks, more K's, and fewer hits allowed. Obviously we're just not sure what we're going to get at this point. I am glad, though, that the O's reached out into the Korean market so early in the offseason. It bodes well for how Duquette is going to operate in the future imo.

[Can_of_corn]

His K rate is actually solid, especially for a GB guy, but yeah a 4.12 BB/9 rate is not good. Maybe he could be used like a Chad Bradford-type guy for us, except more walks, more K's, and fewer hits allowed. Obviously we're just not sure what we're going to get at this point. I am glad, though, that the O's reached out into the Korean market so early in the offseason. It bodes well for how Duquette is going to operate in the future imo.

His K rate is solid, in Korea. I would like a higher K rate since I am expecting a drop off with the transition to MLB.

[MrOrange82]

His K rate is actually solid, especially for a GB guy, but yeah a 4.12 BB/9 rate is not good. Maybe he could be used like a Chad Bradford-type guy for us, except more walks, more K's, and fewer hits allowed. Obviously we're just not sure what we're going to get at this point. I am glad, though, that the O's reached out into the Korean market so early in the offseason. It bodes well for how Duquette is going to operate in the future imo.

I'm not sure I agree. I'm actually a little (lot) leery of giving a ML, multi-year, million+ dollar contract to a 33 year old submariner with bad walk rates. IMO, it speaks pretty poorly (which isn't hard to do, I know) of the Orioles' international efforts that we'd be enthusiastic about this particular, potential signing.

[MarylandAaron]

I'm not sure I agree. I'm actually a little (lot) leery of giving a ML, multi-year, million+ dollar contract to a 33 year old submariner with bad walk rates. IMO, it speaks pretty poorly (which isn't hard to do, I know) of the Orioles' international efforts that we'd be enthusiastic about this particular, potential signing.

Yeah, but 2 years/$3.2M isn't the biggest hit to take if he doesn't work out. In baseball money that is. I mean it's a heck of a lot better than giving Kevin Gregg 2/10. Maybe that's a bad comparison to make because everyone knew the Gregg deal was terrible right from the jump, but to me, Chong seems like a fairly low-risk move with upside. Submariners tend to be successful in this league because hitters aren't used to seeing the ball from that angle.

[Can_of_corn]

Aside from the walks the main problem I have with him is that in Korea left handers hit .292. You are going to have to pull him against league average lefties in anything approaching a high leverage situation. I much prefer bullpen guys to be able to go at least one inning per appearance. I hate the idea of having a guy in the bullpen whose sole job is to get a right handed batter to hit the ball on the ground. With the difficulties the O's starting pitching has had they can not afford that degree of specialization in the pen.

[MrOrange82]

Yeah, but 2 years/$3.2M isn't the biggest hit to take if he doesn't work out. In baseball money that is. I mean it's a heck of a lot better than giving Kevin Gregg 2/10. Maybe that's a bad comparison to make because everyone knew the Gregg deal was terrible right from the jump, but to me, Chong seems like a fairly low-risk move with upside. Submariners tend to be successful in this league because hitters aren't used to seeing the ball from that angle.

False sense of security, IMO. For one thing, I think it'd be difficult to substantiate the idea that "submariners tend to be successful." Numbers would be useful on that count. Second...3.2 million is 3.2 million. I'm not quite convinced that Tae-Hyon has done anything to earn that amount. And, as CofC pointed out, .292 lefties-against average is troubling (if not downright frightening) given the competition he's been facing.

If we were talking about investing in young, international talent (unproven, but with higher ceilings), that'd be one thing. But I see no reason to be excited about this signing, if it happens.

[Bradysburns]

I'm not sure I agree. I'm actually a little (lot) leery of giving a ML, multi-year, million+ dollar contract to a 33 year old submariner with bad walk rates. IMO, it speaks pretty poorly (which isn't hard to do, I know) of the Orioles' international efforts that we'd be enthusiastic about this particular, potential signing.

Rationally, I agree with you. But if this really is $1.6 million per year, I'm not opposed. I hated the Gregg signing. This, at least you realize he's not a closer. And I have a strange feeling that this signing could work out. He could become a folk hero here, of sorts. Bring on the Chong!