Jon Morosi: Orioles agree with Kevin Gregg

[PeteCanes]

You could have said "as a guy with a first-name-last-name and some goofy SportRec glasses" and it would have meant just as much to me.

Probably one of the funnier things I've read on these boards.

[Frobby]

Regardless of weather it is an overblown stat, I as a fan of a team with 27 blown saves last year, will welcome in a real closer with open arms. I agree with your stance that a "save" can happen anywhere in a game, but the fact remains not everyone can get those last 3 outs and we are a team that was in need of some guys who can get them.

I think this is more a case of adding depth at the back end, rather than getting someone who is better than the guys we already had.

[JohnD]

Kevin Gregg has a good arm but I don't want him anywhere near the ninth inning. Too many blown saves. For his 89 saves over the last three seasons, he's blown 22 of them along the way. There's a reason he'll now be going to his fourth different spring training site the last four seasons.

Seventh inning appearance? Sure. Ninth inning? It'll be worth it just to hear Jim Palmer going bananas.

[wildcard]

Kevin Gregg has a good arm but I don't want him anywhere near the ninth inning. Too many blown saves. For his 89 saves over the last three seasons, he's blown 22 of them along the way. There's a reason he'll now be going to his fourth different spring training site the last four seasons.

Seventh inning appearance? Sure. Ninth inning? It'll be worth it just to hear Jim Palmer going bananas.

How about Koji as the closer with Gregg filling in when Koji is injured or needs a break?

[JohnD]

Works for me. I'd use Koji, and then Mike Gonzalez, for the 9th before I ever used Gregg.

[wildcard]

Works for me. I'd use Koji, and then Mike Gonzalez, for the 9th before I ever used Gregg.

I think Buck likes Gonzo as a late inning situational lefty, so I think the closer role might be Koji then Gregg then Gonzo.

Gregg is really the arm that replacs Hernandez on the staff. Yes, Gregg has more experience and is much more expensive but he might not have even been necessary if the O's didn't have to trade DH to get a 3B.

I am expecting to hear from Buck this spring "It about wins, not saves". That is his opening to not declare anyone the closer and use the pitchers as he sees fit.

[CharmCityLights]

What about the fact that he, on average, has walked over 4 batters per nine innings for the past 3 years?

I agree. Having followed Gregg a little bit over the last few years, I can say that it rarely got boring. Last season he had 30 walks in 59 innings pitched.

[GreatEight]

I think Buck likes Gonzo as a late inning situational lefty, so I think the closer role might be Koji then Gregg then Gonzo.

Gregg is really the arm that replacs Hernandez on the staff. Yes, Gregg has more experience and is much more expensive but he might not have even been necessary if the O's didn't have to trade DH to get a 3B.

I am expecting to hear from Buck this spring "It about wins, not saves". That is his opening to not declare anyone the closer and use the pitchers as he sees fit.

Hey I'm just liking the fact that we have 3 options. Never a bad thing, especially with injury concerns. Totally agree with the second bolded statement. He is the hard throwing righy we lost in Hernandez. I'm sure most likley losing Simon also increased our need for Gregg.

[DrungoHazewood]

I think that, especially on the road, the last 3 outs will have substantially more leverage than any other outs in the game. (for example: a 2 run home run in a 1-run game can result in huge leverage shifts.) The fact that good relievers is often cited as a reason for beating pythagorean expected wins is a really good sign to me that the correlation between runs prevented by a closer and expected wins is actually undervalued.

Both Fangraphs and bb-ref use some type of leverage calculation when figuing WAR values.

[Sports Guy]

Well first of all, I agree however last I checked he would cost a draft pick, which is why I said "that did not require a draft pick"

Secondly, I almost agree with you. It's not the argument, it's how you make it. However I would have only wanted to add two other pitchers (who again do not require a draft pick) that would have been cheaper. Those two in order would be Rauch, and Delcarmen, but I would not want either of those guy closing for me, maybe Rauch, but I would rather have Gregg. We are not talking about an avg bulpen arm as some have stated. We are talking about a guy who was 4th in the league in saves last year (37), while doing it in the AL East.

We don't need a closer....We already have a better one on the roster..Koji.

And Gonzo may be better as well.

[DrungoHazewood]

Regardless of weather it is an overblown stat, I as a fan of a team with 27 blown saves last year, will welcome in a real closer with open arms. I agree with your stance that a "save" can happen anywhere in a game, but the fact remains not everyone can get those last 3 outs and we are a team that was in need of some guys who can get them.

It's opinions like this that lead to relievers getting more dollars per win in free agency than any other postion. I'm sure people like Kevin Gregg and his agent appreciate the belief in his magic powers.

I am curious as to what happened between 2006 and 2007, when he transitioned from being a random Dodgers middle reliever to the Marlins' closer. Did he always have his closer fairy dust, or did he acquire it, possibly for Christmas in '06? Can you buy this on the internet? And did he temporarily lose it (possibly in the cushions of his couch?) in 2008-09 when he blew nearly one-quarter of his save opportunities?

[ChaosLex]

How did Gregg do against the MFY's last season? I really don't want Koji to face them again this year.

[ShaneDawg85]

How did Gregg do against the MFY's last season? I really don't want Koji to face them again this year.

7.1 IP

0-0

4 Saves

1.23 ERA

0.818 WHIP

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=greggke01&year=2010&t=p

[Bradysburns]

If the Yankees had never said....................Rivera says hello. You might think saves are an overblown stat and maybe your right, but closers have been more valuable to most teams then your run of the mill bullpen arms. If it was so simple and non-important why did the O's blow so many wins last year because they could not close out games?

Rivera would be dominant in the 3rd inning, too. He's not dominant because he's a closer, and gets saves. He's dominant because of his talent level.

Same with other great closers, like Eckersley.

And part of the reason we blew "wins" last year (did you mean saves?) was because of injuries to our pen. Gonzo was hurt, and Koji actually has the potential to be a dominant closer. I think he could prove the great steal of the offseason if they stick him in that role. Gregg's a solid middle reliever who got promoted above his natural talent level and did admirable work... but is more suited to set-up work or middle relief, IMO.

Koji's numbers blew him away last year: walk rate, K rate, ERA, WHIP, you name it.

[Bradysburns]

7.1 IP

0-0

4 Saves

1.23 ERA

0.818 WHIP

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=greggke01&year=2010&t=p

That's impressive - maybe just bring him in to close games against the Yankees! That would be awesome... Koji every other save, Gregg for Yankee saves.