Cubs reliever Koji Uehara told reporters on Tuesday that after spending 10 seasons as a pro in Japan, he hopes to pitch a total of 10 years in America as well (via Paul Skrbina of the Chicago Tribune). That’d mean another two years for Uehara in the Majors, as he’s currently spent the past eight seasons pitching in Major League Baseball. Considering Uehara’s recent track record, there’s little reason to consider that goal unrealistic. While the 2016 season was a down year by his standards, Uehara still managed a 3.45 ERA with 12.1 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 across 47 innings with the Red Sox. It should be noted that the 41-year-old Uehara (42 in April) didn’t expressly rule out pitching beyond a 10th Major League season.
Elsewhere in the NL Central…
- Jedd Gyorko isn’t certain where he’ll be playing on a day to day basis in 2017, but Cardinals manager Mike Matheny tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the slugging utility infielder will have the opportunity to pick up plenty of at-bats. “I think right now it’s compete for lots of playing time,” said the skipper. “So we’re still in that same mode, and we’ll decide when we break with our club what roles look like.” Gyorko, who started 25+ games at second base, shortstop and third base last year, tells Goold that he dropped some weight in an effort to improve his range and increase the value of his newfound versatility. He also notes that so long as the Cardinals are winning, his own placement on the diamond/in the lineup is secondary. “I could be selfish and demand that I play every day and if I don’t then say I want to be traded,” says Gyorko. “That’s not who I am. That’s not who I want to be.” Gyorko will compete with Jhonny Peralta for at-bats at third base and can also play each other infield slot.
- Bronson Arroyo and Devin Mesoraco appeared in an intrasquad game for the Reds on Tuesday, writes MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon. While Arroyo’s velocity in his one-inning, 15-pitch outing was around 83 mph, the 40-year-old is a bit behind after missing a week due to a stomach virus. Arroyo said he’s relieved, as his arm was already in “severe pain” around this stage last season (when a shoulder injury cut his spring short). His next outing will be a two-inning stint in a Cactus League game, per Sheldon, while manager Bryan Price said that Mesoraco could be in a Cactus League lineup by Sunday. Mesoraco admitted to feeling a bit rusty from a baseball standpoint but said that he felt good from a health perspective.
Gyorko may not be the best player, but he’s a good teammate. The Cards should be glad to have him, even with his somewhat inflated price tag.
26M over 4 years (38 over 5 if option picked) is a pretty fair price if he can repeat or come close to repeating his 2016 IMO
Pretty sure a decent chunk of that is also being paid by the Padres.
Question..How do you know he’s a good teammate❓
We really dont know. The Phillies guys still talked highly of Papelbon while everyone and their brother were lobbying for him to be traded away
Actually, this year he could be the most valuable infielder. Being a jack of all trades of sorts could really benefit the Cards this season.
I have a feeling Gyorko will get lots of playing time if the injury plagued Cardinals continue their history. A lot of their injuries were unfair imo to label the players injury proned. Peralta hit in the thumb by a pitch, same thing with Diaz. It’s one thing to be injured by being hit by a pitch, or colliding with another player or outfielder chasing down a flyball or whatever, but it seems like several of their injuries happened because they did not properly stretch out before the game like back strains or pulled muscles i.e. Carpenter. Some are inevitable i guess no matter what.
Glad jerk co lost the weight
I liked him as a Padre but he wasn’t light on his feet, and with head case blocking him at third he was moved to 2nd.
When he lived in sd, he owned a condo right across the st from petco, and would walk to the stadium.
“I could be selfish and demand that I play every day and if I don’t then say I want to be traded,” No you can’t Jed Gyorko.
Yes, he can, but that doesn’t mean they are required to do so. History shows that when players do that sort of thing, it eventually happens, usually sooner than later. A team only needs but one good reason to act on a trade demand….clubhouse chemistry.
Or its a good way to get DFA’d and get sent back to the minors. Teams are becoming less and less willing to deal with attitudes like this. See Brett Lawrie.
Brett Lawrie didn’t hit 30 dingers in 400 ABs last year
Good God the Reds are truly pathetic!!!
Because 1 of the ~63 guys invited to camp to compete for 25 jobs is a 40 year old with little chance? That could seem truly pathetic to someone who doesn’t understand how frequently minor league invites are handed out.
Can’t express how happy I am that the Cubs added Koji. He’s been a favorite of mine for awhile now, and I think he will have another good season.
” Considering Uehara’s recent track record, there’s little reason to consider that goal unrealistic.”
Reasons why the goal might be consider unrealistic:
– He is about to be 42
– Velocity has dropped every year since 2013
– Opened the 2015 season on the DL
– From Aug 10, 2015 finished the season on the DL
– On the DL from July 20-Sept 5, 2016
I love Koji, but watching him the past years he has lost that dominance.
He posted the second-highest k-rate of his career last year, 12.1/9, and he still doesn’t really walk anyone. He’s still good for 50 dominant innings a season or so.
His HR/9 and HR/FB% also shot way up.and hasn’t ptiched 50+ innings since 2014. K/BB, ERA-, FIP-, WHIP, BB% are all trending in the wrong direction the last couple of years. He is still missing bats, but when he doesn’t the results are more damaging than they had been in the past, and with his velocity dropping, it may mean he is going to miss more bats. Not saying the overall decline in outcome is a certainty – he could turn out to be the Japanese Bartolo Colon for all I know – , but saying that there are no warning signs of waning performance at age 42 isn’t true.
Home run rates were up for everyone last year, of course, and crazy HR/FB rates tend to regress. Uehara has always been homer-prone, of course, but it’s never really hurt him that much because he doesn’t put people on base. His velocity in 2016 was the lowest it’s been but his K rate was nearly the highest he’s ever had, and his swinging strike rate is still pretty good. There’s, of course, a chance he’ll turn Trevor Hoffman overnight, where there’s not enough separation between the fastball and split, but it seems like he’s not quite there yet. Wrigley field is a better park for pitchers than Fenway is, so that’s a factor too.
True about Wrigley v. Fenway. Hope he can keep missing bats. He has always been a bit of an oddity in how he strikes guys out. Kind of sneaky speed. And a great team player – never once complaining being bumped out the closer role in Boston. Hope he can get in two more productive years.