SUNDAY: Kuo is "close to a decision on a landing place" for the 2012 season, agent Alan Chang told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Chang also confirmed that the Mariners are one of the teams that have shown "a lot of interest" in the left-hander (Twitter link).
SATURDAY: The Mariners are "looking closely" at Hong-Chih Kuo, reports Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). It's unclear if they're close to a deal. Last week we heard that three West Coast teams were eyeing the southpaw, including his former team, the Dodgers.
Kuo, 30, was non-tendered earlier this offseason after allowing 49 baserunners and 29 runs in 27 innings last season. He was arguably the game's best reliever in 2010 though, allowing just 29 hits and eight runs (1.20 ERA) in 60 innings, striking out 73 (11.0 K/9) and walking just 18 (2.7 BB/9). Left-handed batters had no chance against him that season, hitting just .095/.159/.111 with 28 strikeouts in 69 plate appearances. Kuo has had five elbow operations – including two Tommy John surgeries – and battled anxiety problems in 2011.
Seattle has already signed lefty reliever George Sherrill earlier this offseason.
look closely elsewhere
Worth a shot. He was borderline untouchable just two years ago, and if he starts the year off well then that might be enough to convince another team to part with a little something in a trade for him. If he repeats 2011, all you did was waste like 1% of your team’s total payroll. Maybe closer to 2% in the Mariners’ case.
I doubt that they’re going to pay him 2 million
I know that he has had multiple surgeries, that he has had anxiety issues, and that he was awful last year. But I really can’t believe that he hasn’t been signed yet. He truly can be great
Who
Maybe if you read the title you would know.
Who, as in who cares.
Maybe you should type out the full meaning then.
No, Hu is with the Cleveland Indians on a minor league contract…
What? Where?
Doesn’t he play first base?
I wish the Yankees would try and go for Kuo on a minor league contract. IF healthy the man can can shut down lefties, but then again he would prob take Marte’s spot on the DL along side Feliciano *facepalm*
Would be nice to get him on a minor league deal. He was great before this year.
If he wants to open a restaurant in Taiwan let him. It might be better for his anxiety
I don’t know. Have you watched Kitchen Nightmares?
Enhance… enhance…. enhance….
just print the damn picture!
Relievers are volatile but 2010 just cannot be a fluke. That is extreme dominance. Im surprised the interest in him is so minimal and yet Broxton gets 4MM and Frank Francisco gets 12MM. If he is even in the ballpark of his 2010 form hes going to be a bargain
Not to mention he was great in 2008 and pretty good in ’09 as well.
I don’t get it, either. As a Dodger fan who has watched both Kuo and Broxton extensively over the past few years, I’d much rather take a chance on Kuo.
Kuo seems worth a low-risk contract for somebody, but the problem with the Dodgers giving him one is that the team is already thin in the left hand relief department. If they’re going to stock the minor leagues with lefties it seems wiser to find one who isn’t a boom or bust type.
Sure… bring him aboard. What have us M’s fans got to lose? :/
Rebuilding teams can never have too many lefty relievers. Buy low now, sell high at the trade deadline.
Oh man is this gonna be the first signing of ours that isn’t a ex mariner!!!!
Mariners Looking Closely At Hong-Chih Kuo. I guess Jack Z and his advisers are “Near Sighted”.
Montero, Iwakuma, Millwood, Guillen, Sherrill, Jaso, Kawasaki, Hong Chih Kuo, Noesi, Wells, Furbush, Ruffin, Seager, Ackley, Carp, Beavan, Wilhelmsen , Kelley, Hultzen, Paxton, Trayvon Robinson….
21 players who weren’t part of the team at the begining of last season…
Jack Z is trying, and if you look at prospects, we have a top-5 system, impressive work so far…
“Welcome to Seattle, Mr. Kuo. I hear you’ve had anxiety problems. This is Sunshine. She’ll introduce you to our hemp community. And this is Helga. She’ll keep you away from our coffee shops.”
Sunshine? In Seattle?
Seattle Mariners take on Asian ballplayers: “Gotta catch ’em all!”
Kuo better be a batter… .300 30 homers … Seriously tho. What the hell are the Mariners doing.. No offense again will lose 80-90 games
They are trying to maximize their chances of winning close games.
Potential is quite different than execution. If the young guns play mediocre ball it’s a 80 loss season. I think at best they can be .500. Texas and Anaheim are stacked. Will be a long long time before Mariners are in 1st. They needed that big bat.
Right…we are talking about 1-2 run games here at best. But still the point. If you have a small lead there’s a good chance you’ll keep it with a solid bullpen. I don’t think scoring so few runs will be the case this year. Although Jack hasn’t made a huge splash in the off season this year (most likely due to hands being tied by tight wad ownership) he has done a decent job of fielding a professional baseball team with what he has to work with. Montero, Ackley, Smoak, Wells, Olivo (18 HR’s last year..even at Safeco) and Carp ALL have power potential (not counting Guillen if he makes the team which I think he will). In the past it’s been maybe 1 or 2 guys who can hit HR’s in the lineup. Now there are multiple. Potentially anyway.