Go get Kopech..and other potential BP additions

[dystopia]

Might be another Fuji but if the O’s can get him to throw strikes he’d be great. 

[interloper]

5 minutes ago, Roll Tide said:

I don’t expect Elias will aim as high as Kopech . We know Getz will be asking for the moon. I could see them chasing a guy like Clevinger. 

Sheesh, I was kind of hoping he'd aim higher than Kopech. This year is a little different than 2023. We have a much better chance at going deep and it would be kind of negligent of Elias to not aim as high as he can for the bullpen. 

That said, I agree with others that Stowers is the guy for this particular move. I can't see us giving up more than that, nor do I see the White Sox accepting less. Perhaps there's a low level pitcher or two that is kind of the equivalent value of Stowers if they want pitching instead, but not sure. 

Edited May 6 by interloper

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

Sheesh, I was kind of hoping he'd aim higher than Kopech. This year is a little different than 2023. We have a much better chance at going deep and it would be kind of negligent of Elias to not aim as high as he can for the bullpen. 

That said, I agree with others that Stowers is the guy for this particular move. I can't see us giving up more than that, nor do I see the White Sox accepting less. Perhaps there's a low level pitcher or two that is kind of the equivalent value of Stowers if they want pitching instead, but not sure. 

To be honest, it’s very possible that Kopech is the most impactful reliever dealt this year. The stuff and upside is that good.

 

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

To be honest, it’s very possible that Kopech is the most impactful reliever dealt this year. The stuff and upside is that good.

 

You might be right. I don't buy the A's selling Miller one bit. The Marlins have Scott but meh. Not a whole lot out there. 

We know that Elias values velocity from the Fuji trade, and surely he knows Kimbrel is a time bomb. It's definitely a fit. 

[RZNJ]

11 minutes ago, dystopia said:

Might be another Fuji but if the O’s can get him to throw strikes he’d be great. 

He could never be another Fuji.   He could be a mediocre hard thrower or he could be a force.

[RZNJ]

5 minutes ago, interloper said:

You might be right. I don't buy the A's selling Miller one bit. The Marlins have Scott but meh. Not a whole lot out there. 

We know that Elias values velocity from the Fuji trade, and surely he knows Kimbrel is a time bomb. It's definitely a fit. 

He got Fuji for almost nothing.  I think everyone values velocity but I don’t think it tells us anything about the future.

[interloper]

One underrated aspect of this might be how Hyde would use him. He'd almost certainly trust Cano and Coulombe to continue to be his main setup men. So Kopech could be used as a R on R matchup guy coming in to throw 100 mph to Aaron Judge or whatever. 

[Moose Milligan]

I secretly think that SG just wants to go more round with the White Sox board.

[Hank Scorpio]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

I secretly think that SG just wants to go more round with the White Sox board.

I kinda want him too as well. 

[RZNJ]

2 minutes ago, interloper said:

One underrated aspect of this might be how Hyde would use him. He'd almost certainly trust Cano and Coulombe to continue to be his main setup men. So Kopech could be used as a R on R matchup guy coming in to throw 100 mph to Aaron Judge or whatever. 

He’d be used in the 7-9 innings and didn’t the OP say that he’s actually been getting hammered by RH hitters?

[interloper]

Just now, RZNJ said:

He’d be used in the 7-9 innings and didn’t the OP say that he’s actually been getting hammered by RH hitters?

Ah, missed that part. Sounds like a pitch mix issue or lack of a good breaking pitch. Not overly familiar with his repertoire. 

[Moose Milligan]

3 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

I kinda want him too as well. 

I'm here for it.

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, interloper said:

You might be right. I don't buy the A's selling Miller one bit. The Marlins have Scott but meh. Not a whole lot out there. 

We know that Elias values velocity from the Fuji trade, and surely he knows Kimbrel is a time bomb. It's definitely a fit. 

Yea I doubt Miller is traded.  The As aren’t out of that race anyway, so any talk of that is premature.

In 2021, Kopech was basically a reliever. He had 4 starts but 2 were essentially as an opener and the other 2 were 4 and 5 IP and were early in the season. In that season, he had a K rate well over 13, a walk rate just over 3 and an FIp under 3.  The HR was over 1, so stilL not great and he actually didn’t have great numbers in high leverage situations (as defined by FG).

He had some mixed results on his statcast numbers that year as well.

The one thing that sticks out to me, besides the command and control, is that he has been prone to giving up hard contact. Can the Os help with that? 
 

This would be one of those additions where you just trust Elias. If he does it, he sees something that he feels they can fix.  If he doesn’t, there is something about him that he just doesn’t like and he questions if he can trust him.  I’d be good either way.

Without having that info, he’s high up on my personal list of guys to go after but I’m certainly fine with better options if one exists.

[Sports Guy]

6 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I secretly think that SG just wants to go more round with the White Sox board.

Oh they banned me.  They didn’t like me telling them I told you so after all the sh!t they gave me.

[CaptainRedbeard]

Kopech would be a great target. His fastball was always great, but now it’s absurd now that he’s a RP - the #1 graded fastball by Stuff+, higher than Mason Miller and Tanner Scott. Elite velo obviously but also elite spin. 

Doesn’t seem like he has much command or even decent secondary pitches, but when your fastball is that good you can throw it 80%+ of the time and be dominant.  

He’s probably infuriating to watch, like Baumann, but a much better fastball even than Baumann’s and he at least throws it a lot, unlike Baumann being in love with his slider/cutter that’s his worst pitch.

My only request is that Baumann be included in the trade so I don’t have to watch both him and Kopech.