Orioles closing in on Japanese lefty Tsuyoshi Wada (Update: Wada is signed)

[Lester Freamon]

Per Connolly:

I would go up to 2/14 or so to ink Chen, whom I believe can start in MLB. I might hesitate to go to three years due to a decrease in velo in 2011, but I'd be willing to work in options/escalators.

FWIW, because I have NO IDEA about this stuff, it has been speculated that Chen could cost 4 years @ 20 mil total. This was back in November. Don't know if his price at this moment would be higher, lower or about the same. Here is the link.

[Go_Os]

Darvish would certainly feel at home with these other Japanese players. I'm totally down with going hard after Darvish.

[Tony-OH]

Wada could end up an 8th inning guy like Koji if they sign Chen. I think they'll give him every opportunity to start but if the workload ends up too much, I could see him become pretty valuable out of the pen.

[Going Underground]

I think we are out on Darvish. I still think the Floyd,Quentin trade can happen. I don't think Fielder is going to the Mariners. I think it is down to about three or four teams.I hear this week might be very interesting.At least won't have to talk about Eveland for 56 pages. Need to get season ticket holders to start renewing. Sushi should now be sold at the Yard and Sapporo Beer.

[RVAbird]

FWIW, because I have NO IDEA about this stuff, it has been speculated that Chen could cost 4 years @ 20 mil. This was back in November. Don't know if his price at this moment would be higher, lower or about the same. Here is the link.

Seems like a weird contract to me. The 5 MM per year is not much of a raise (if any) over his likely NPB salary and locking himself into 4 years at that rate keeps him from proving himself and securing a ML FA market rate contract before he's in his 30s. I actually think he'd prefer 2/12-14.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Here's the way I see the rotation right now:

Guthrie

Britton

Wada

Arrieta

Matusz/Eveland/Hunter/Simon

Eveland, Hunter and Simon can fight for spots in the pen if they don't make the rotation, but Matusz would go back to Norfolk if he doesn't make the rotation.

I would guess Guthrie is a 99% goner.

[Brendan25]

I think we are out on Darvish also. Chen and Wada would be two pretty solid additions to this rotation however.

[scottbbfm]

Angelos probably feels like he gets a better deal with multiple Asian guys - spreads the cost of the interpreter around.

[Going Underground]

I would guess Guthrie is a 99% goner.

Depends. We still need an innings eater and depends if other trades happen.

[SrMeowMeow]

I am ecstatic with how aggressive we've been internationally. It's honestly the first ray of hope I've had for our future since the Bedard trade.

[RVAbird]

I am ecstatic with how aggressive we've been internationally. It's honestly the first ray of hope I've had for our future since the Bedard trade.

It's a nice change of strategy, but signing a bunch of 5th starters/relievers to multi-year guaranteed deals probably doesn't do much for the long-term needs of the team. I like the aggression and am okay with the targets, but the work they are doing in Latin America is probably more important than the guys they are plucking out of Asia right now. And the improvement in the development system trumps all of this in terms of long-term importance.

[LookinUp]

I think we are out on Darvish. I still think the Floyd,Quentin trade can happen. I don't think Fielder is going to the Mariners. I think it is down to about three or four teams.I hear this week might be very interesting.At least won't have to talk about Eveland for 56 pages. Need to get season ticket holders to start renewing. Sushi should now be sold at the Yard and Sapporo Beer.

You rascal you.

[weams]

I think we are out on Darvish. I still think the Floyd,Quentin trade can happen. I don't think Fielder is going to the Mariners. I think it is down to about three or four teams.I hear this week might be very interesting.At least won't have to talk about Eveland for 56 pages. Need to get season ticket holders to start renewing. Sushi should now be sold at the Yard and Sapporo Beer.

Well. Number one, Darvish will require more than a three year deal, so even if we were to win the post, we would be out.

Two, we are not getting the Fresh Prince.

Three, If the were going to trade Matusz, Kenny Williams would be the guy to trade him to.

Eveland signed a very reasonable deal.

I think they sell sushi.*

* speculation, no inside information

[.500_OR_BETTER]

I am ecstatic with how aggressive we've been internationally. It's honestly the first ray of hope I've had for our future since the Bedard trade.

Well I wouldn't get too excited! We haven't signed any of the top international players [Darvish, Cespedes (sp?), ect.]

Their stats might not carry over to success in the MLB.

[SrMeowMeow]

It's a nice change of strategy, but signing a bunch of 5th starters/relievers to multi-year guaranteed deals probably doesn't do much for the long-term needs of the team. I like the aggression and am okay with the targets, but the work they are doing in Latin America is probably more important than the guys they are plucking out of Asia right now. And the improvement in the development system trumps all of this in terms of long-term importance.

It speaks to a paradigm shift in our philosophy.