Jon Morosi: Orioles agree with Kevin Gregg

[ShaneDawg85]

I'm not a big fan of this deal. I don't hate it, but I don't like it either. The Orioles needed some relief help, and if Buck wants veteran relievers then I won't complain that much, he's had successful bullpens in the past so he should know what works for him. At least it didn't cost us a pick.

I will say thought that I really hope Koji is the closer next season. I feel he's earned the opportunity based on his performance last season. If he doesn't get it, or pitches poorly in spring training then put Gonzalez there to help jack up his trade value.

[Gurgi]

Why all the stressing out? You let Gregg close until he blows two or three in a row or he otherwise shows he cant do it and then you give it to the next best guy. It isnt rocket science.

[ShaneDawg85]

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.

Yes and no. His career mark versus the Yankees is:

0-1

19.1 IP

3.72 ERA

1.603 WHIP

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

The ERA isn't that bad, but the WHIP sucks, no two ways around it. I think people are making too much of a deal about Koji versus the Yankees last season. He pitched three innings against them last year, albeit they didn't go very well. But how about the rest of the division?

Boston: 0.00 ERA/2.2 IP

Tampa Bay: 2.16 ERA/8.1 IP

Toronto: 2.45 ERA/3.2 IP

He didn't seem to have that big a problem against the other teams of the division, so I'm not going to hold three bad innings against the Yankees against him.

[DrungoHazewood]

Why all the stressing out? You let Gregg close until he blows two or three in a row or he otherwise shows he cant do it and then you give it to the next best guy. It isnt rocket science.

Why would you possibly let Gregg close when you have Koji available? Why would you let Gregg close if you have both Koji and Gonzalez available? Both are certainly better pitchers than Gregg.

[Gurgi]

Why would you possibly let Gregg close when you have Koji available? Why would you let Gregg close if you have both Koji and Gonzalez available? Both are certainly better pitchers than Gregg.

Gregg has a track record. Koji and Gonzalez both are injury risk.

I am confident that this will work out fine for us. To have three pretty decent choices as closer is going to be a good thing. Maybe it will allow us to use different guys as closer as the situation calls? Maybe we wont have to run Gregg out there three straight days?

Does it really befuddle you that we would try this?

If a promise to Gregg to give him a decent shot at closer is what it took to get him to ink with us I say fine. Let him go for it.

Certainly Gonzo doesnt have a real strong claim to the closer roll after last year and Koji seems to have a desire to just help out the team in anyway he can. He seems to be on board with what ever we want after his attempts to start backfired.

[chamdog]

I don't understand this move. 2/10 is way to much for the numbers the guy has put up looks like a gas can to me.

[Gurgi]

I don't understand this move. 2/10 is way to much for the numbers the guy has put up looks like a gas can to me.

Maybe this is a sign the Orioles think they can improve quite a bit next year and dont want to be too darn stingy when the young players sent Markakis up to beg Angelos for some veteran help this year?

[Bradysburns]

Yes and no. His career mark versus the Yankees is:

0-1

19.1 IP

3.72 ERA

1.603 WHIP

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

The ERA isn't that bad, but the WHIP sucks, no two ways around it. I think people are making too much of a deal about Koji versus the Yankees last season. He pitched three innings against them last year, albeit they didn't go very well. But how about the rest of the division?

Boston: 0.00 ERA/2.2 IP

Tampa Bay: 2.16 ERA/8.1 IP

Toronto: 2.45 ERA/3.2 IP

He didn't seem to have that big a problem against the other teams of the division, so I'm not going to hold three bad innings against the Yankees against him.

Great insight here. I am a big fan of Koji closing, and am agnostic on this Gregg deal (although I think we overpaid mightily). But this makes me even more convinced that Koji should be the guy, and Gregg should have received a 1/3 or 2/6 deal. But whatevs... Gregg's talented, so throw him on the woodpile!

[NCRaven]

Judging from Showalter's performance in the last third of the season, I think he's fully capable of figuring out how to best use his bullpen. If he believes that Gregg, Gonzo, or Koji is the best option for closing games, or a particular game, he'll use the pitch he thinks is right for the situation. Some are acting like Buck is an idiot and won't be able to get this right which, on the face of it, seems a bit silly.

[Crazysilver03]

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.

.

While I agree and without looking at the stats, I feel like Rivera hasn't been as good when he is put in non save situations.

[MrOrange82]

Gregg has a track record. Koji and Gonzalez both are injury risk.

I am confident that this will work out fine for us. To have three pretty decent choices as closer is going to be a good thing. Maybe it will allow us to use different guys as closer as the situation calls? Maybe we wont have to run Gregg out there three straight days?

Does it really befuddle you that we would try this?

If a promise to Gregg to give him a decent shot at closer is what it took to get him to ink with us I say fine. Let him go for it.

Certainly Gonzo doesnt have a real strong claim to the closer roll after last year and Koji seems to have a desire to just help out the team in anyway he can. He seems to be on board with what ever we want after his attempts to start backfired.

What does Koji/Gonzo being injury risks have to do with anything? Run either/both of them out there until they break down, then go to the worse pitcher (Gregg) if you have to (if he's indeed the worse pitcher).

[clarence]

Judging from Showalter's performance in the last third of the season, I think he's fully capable of figuring out how to best use his bullpen. If he believes that Gregg, Gonzo, or Koji is the best option for closing games, or a particular game, he'll use the pitch he thinks is right for the situation. Some are acting like Buck is an idiot and won't be able to get this right which, on the face of it, seems a bit silly.

Amen. Not quite sure I understand the uproar.

[Babypowder]

Don't like this deal at all. Gregg is an average to maybe slightly above average reliever that we are paying elite reliever money to. It just doesn't make sense when there are plenty of other options available. I would have been more interested in Jon Rauch, Chad Qualls, or even Kyle Farnsworth instead just off the top of my head. All 3 would have been cheaper and likely better options.

[Slappy]

Ultimately we have 3 guys with closer quality stuff, so I'm not complaining. Let Buck sort it out.

[NCRaven]

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.

Wrong, at least a little. Rivera is a one-pitch pitcher who rarely faces more than 4 or 5 pitchers, at most. So the role he pitches in - one inning at the end of the game - plays a huge role in his success. He could probably would not be a successful starter if he had to go 5-7 innings and face batters multiple times in a game, as an example.

But, he is great at getting 3 quick outs at the end of games. That is how his talent translates. And, that talent really is specific to the role he pitches in.