Ubaldo Jimenez Today, 2016

[LookitsPuck]

I don't think we will regret O'Day. Hardy has been about so so. Really hard to disagree with Webb mainly because he traded him and a draft pick as a salary dump while keeping Matusz on the roster which I think was a huge blunder.

[webbrick2010]

I don't think we will regret O'Day. Hardy has been about so so. Really hard to disagree with Webb mainly because he traded him and a draft pick as a salary dump while keeping Matusz on the roster which I think was a huge blunder.

Hope you are right, but giving a 4yr deal to a 33 yo middle reliever, while not using that money to extend your young stud closer made no sense to me.

O'day has already directly coughed up two wins by allowing late gopher balls. I don't trust him against power hitters, especially if they are left hand hitters

[LookitsPuck]

O'Day with the O's. Number of games where he's allowed 1 earned run or more:

2012: 12

2013: 12

2014: 10

2015: 8

2016: 2

From 2012-2015, he's averaged 68 games (66 IP) w/ a SO/9 of 9.7 and 2.1 BB/9 w/ a WHIP under 1.000.

He's been the definition of durable and consistent posting WARs of 2.5, 2.0, 2.3, and 2.8 from that time period.

He'll bounce back. Hardworking. Great clubhouse guy. Doesn't rely on velocity. All deception and a plus slider. He'll be fine.

[Il BuonO]

The larger point is, don't fall into the sunken cost fallacy. Signing X bad FA pitchers doesn't mean that the next one will be a bust. The key is to figure out why the last ones failed. Was it bad luck? Their ages? The type of pitcher they were?

This was my problem with the signing from the beginning. Jimenez had unsound mechanics before he arrived in Baltimore. He had one good half of a season and he was available. The signing happened right before ST and they likely were bidding against themselves for the 4th year of the deal.

I agree they need to sign FA from time to time, but he wasn't the right one.

[Aristotelian]

It might sound crazy but I saw some good things from Ubaldo tonight. What he's got to realize is he doesn't have to throw every batter every pitch he has in every at bat. Establish the fastball, get ahead and make these guys defensive at the plate then start mixing in the secondary stuff. Let's face it, we don't have a lot of alternatives here. They're pretty much going to have to try to make it work with this guy and I think he can be better with an improved approach.

Not crazy. After Wallace talked to him, he ended the inning with back to back strikeouts, followed by three more scoreless innings with no hits and just a walk allowed. Whatever Wallace said to him seemed to have worked, for a while. He wasn't horrible in the 5th. Got the leadoff out, then an infield single that Manny may have gotten. Gave up a walk, but the base hit by Cano was a grounder that found a hole. A few degrees off and it's a tailor made double play ball. The walk and Cruz's base hit were certainly on Ubaldo, but also got his share of bad luck.

[ORIOLE33]

Please. Ubaldo constantly puts this team in a hole every start. Every start. He can't get out of here fast enough.

[Aristotelian]

Please. Ubaldo constantly puts this team in a hole every start. Every start. He can't get out of here fast enough.

True. It would have been better if Wallace had imparted his words of wisdom before the game started so Ubaldo didn't get in that mess to begin with. Still, he pitched well enough to get out of it with 2 runs allowed.

[srock]

This.. 2 first round picks for our shallow farm system for Ubaldo and 87-89 fastball Gallardo. It's looking pretty ugly and there's a few more years to go, which most likely won't get much better.

On the other hand, Miguel Gonzalez and Wie yen Chen provided ridiculous excess value. Gotta look at the whole picture not just the sore spots.

Honestly Jimenez hasn't been that bad overall. And Gallardo is an unknown at this point. Still time for them to ruin my argument!

[Going Underground]

True. It would have been better if Wallace had imparted his words of wisdom before the game started so Ubaldo didn't get in that mess to begin with. Still, he pitched well enough to get out of it with 2 runs allowed.

Wallace has not been with the team for about five days. A family matter. Scott Mcgregor is filling in.

[Going Underground]

This was my problem with the signing from the beginning. Jimenez had unsound mechanics before he arrived in Baltimore. He had one good half of a season and he was available. The signing happened right before ST and they likely were bidding against themselves for the 4th year of the deal.

I agree they need to sign FA from time to time, but he wasn't the right one.

He basically has had two good half seasons since 2010.

[El Gordo]

Please. Ubaldo constantly puts this team in a hole every start. Every start. He can't get out of here fast enough.

Hardly He has had 3 good starts including one 8 IP 2 R and one OK start. The other 4 were stinkers. Pretty much pat for the course with him.

[LookitsPuck]

Well, Ubaldo by inning:

1st inning: .344/.462/.500 - .962 OPS, 7 walks, 11 hits, 4 ER in 8 IP. On average, he's allowed 2.25 baserunners at the start of every single game.

Hasn't allow a single run in the 2nd inning. Starts getting destroyed in the 5th inning: 12 earned runs, .412/.474/.559 - 1.033 OPS, 16 baserunners in 7 IP in the 5th inning.

All in all, Ubaldo has been atrocious. Worst WHIP of his career by far. Walk rate is bad. Hit rate is abysmal.

In 8 starts, he's allowed 4 or more runs 4 times, he's only pitched 5 IP or less 5 times, has allowed 2 or less runs twice, has walked 4 or more batters 5 times.

He needs to get out of the rotation and reverting is mechanics back to 2015 now. He's killing this team.

[webbrick2010]

I remember in past years it being said that he really struggles in cold weather

We've had nothing but crappy weather especially in his home starts

I think he'll be a little better if it ever warms up.

[Rene88]

I remember in past years it being said that he really struggles in cold weather

We've had nothing but crappy weather especially in his home starts

I think he'll be a little better if it ever warms up.

Excellent point sir. I strongly disagree Worley should replace Ubaldo. Worley should be left where he is, mop up/spot start.

[Can_of_corn]

I remember in past years it being said that he really struggles in cold weather

We've had nothing but crappy weather especially in his home starts

I think he'll be a little better if it ever warms up.

Was it abnormally warm last spring?

He pitched well early in the season last year.