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Koji Uehara

Odds and Ends: Hunter, A-Rod, Bedard

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Sunday morning minor rumor collection…

  • There’s always some skepticism from readers regarding Charley Walters rumors.  Nonetheless I’ll report that he names the Nationals, White Sox, Braves, Yankees, and Dodgers as teams that will bid for Torii Hunter.  I don’t see the Braves getting involved at $15MM per.  And are the Dodgers ready to move Juan Pierre to left field already?  The other clubs named seem reasonable.
  • As expected, the Cardinals interviewed Chris Antonetti for their open GM position.  No doubt it’s an attractive position but you have to wonder what kind of autonomy he’d have with Tony La Russa around.
  • Larry LaRue makes the case for the Mariners tendering a contract to Horacio Ramirez.  He also notes that Jose Guillen is as good as gone and the Ms won’t consider A-Rod.
  • Speaking of that guy, Bill Price suggests the Mets should sign him and move David Wright to first base.  Carlos Delgado I suppose would be a very expensive pinch-hitter in 2008. 
  • Nick Cafardo expects the Orioles to shop Miguel Tejada this winter, which would surprise no one.  But he’s also hearing that Erik Bedard could be available.  Trades of either might be unpopular with the fanbase.  The trade market for starters could be hopping if Johan Santana, Bedard, and C.C. Sabathia are made available.
  • Joel Sherman says Koji Uehara is a free agent, but we have heard differently.  Anyway, the success of Hideki Okajima may create a minor bidding war for Hitoki Iwase.

Koji Uehara Not Eligible For Free Agency

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We’ve spilled a decent amount of Internet ink on righty pitcher Koji Uehara.  He’s a control pitcher and longtime starter who was used in relief by the Yomiuri Giants this season (perhaps to spite him). 

Now comes word that the hamstring injury that knocked him out for the season’s first month caused him to fall just short of the service time needed for free agent eligibility.  Unless the Giants post him (unlikely), he’s off the radar for MLB teams this winter.  (Thanks to Mike Plugh of Uehara Watch for the info).  Fortunately for MLB fans, Kosuke Fukudome did maintain eligibility despite an injury late in the year. 

Ted Berg On Japanese Pitchers

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SNY’s Ted Berg has an informative blog post about Japanese pitchers who may come over to MLB for the 2008 season (found via MetsBlog).  Berg discusses the situations of Koji Uehara, Hiroki Kuroda, Kenshin Kawakami, Hitoki Iwase, Masahide Kobayashi, and Kazumi Saito.

So far only Uehara and Kuroda have been discussed here at MLBTR.  I’m planning to dig up some info on Iwase, but the other three guys are new to me.

Japanese position players to have on the radar include outfielder Kosuke Fukudome and shortstop Tomohiro Nioka.

Mike Plugh On Koji Uehara: Part 2

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Have you heard about 32 year-old righthanded starter Koji Uehara?  He’s a free agent likely to come over from Japan to MLB this winter (no posting fee).  I wanted to learn more about him, so I consulted the authority on such matters: Mike Plugh.  Mike runs the Uehara Watch blog.  He also has Matsuzaka Watch and writes for Baseball Prospectus. 

You can read Part 1 of our Q&A here; a few additional questions are below.

Do you know of any specific teams that are expected to pursue Uehara?  I’ve read that the Angels like him.

I think the Angels are the team to watch with Uehara, simply because the drafted him out of college many years ago. He almost came to the Majors as a 23-year old, but the lure of the Yomiuri Giants proved too strong to pry him away. There’s a relationship there, albeit one from the distant past. Other than the Angels, I think you’ll see a lot of teams trying to get in on the action. There’s a huge market for Japanese players around the Major Leagues that is only growing. The Mets are very eager to get into Japan again. The Cubs seem to be active as well, and perhaps the Braves. The list may include every MLB club, so it’s a matter of money in the end, just like every other free agent. Would he play for the Mariners with Ichiro in center and Johjima is his backstop? Maybe. A lot of intriguing scenarios are out there.

Tell us a little bit about Koji as a person.

As for his personality, Uehara is very easygoing. He’s a funny guy by all accounts with a good sense of humor. He likes to keep things relaxed, but he’s extremely professional as are almost all Japanese athletes. He has a typically disciplined work ethic and is very focused in practice and on the field. He’d fit in virtually anywhere, although I think he’ll want to play on a winner if given a reasonable choice. He’s over 30 and may have a small window of opportunity to contribute to a championship ballclub.

Mike Plugh On Koji Uehara: Part 1

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Right fielder Kosuke Fukudome is going to be a big deal this winter. He’s the next big thing from Japan, and you can scroll through multiple posts on him here.

But there’s another name surfacing on the radar: 32 year-old righthanded starter Koji Uehara.  He’s a free agent likely to come over to MLB this winter (no posting fee).  I wanted to learn more about him, so I consulted the authority on such matters: Mike Plugh.  Mike runs the Uehara Watch blog.  He also has Matsuzaka Watch and writes for Baseball Prospectus. 

Our Uehara Q&A ran long so I’m breaking this up into two posts.

You’ve described Uehara as having an 88-90 mph fastball as well as many other pitches.  Is his forkball his bread and butter?  Is there anyone in MLB past or present you’d compare him to?

Koji Uehara has a fastball that tops out at 94-95mph, but he rarely hits that velocity anymore. His hallmark is control and he uses a slower fastball, at about 88-89 on the corners, more effectively as a veteran. His plus pitches include a knee-buckling forkball, a nice curve, and an effective slider.  If I had to compare him to a Major Leaguer, I’d go with a more sturdy Brad Radke. He’s about the same size, right-handed, and has such amazing control that I’d be comfortable with that kind of expectation.

Given the apparent failure of Kei Igawa in the AL East, do you think American League teams will shy away from Uehara this winter?  Is Uehara better than Igawa?

I think there are a number of teams that will be scared away from Uehara based on having seen Kazuhisa Ishii, Hideki Irabu, and Kei Igawa coming out of Japan’s Central League. Those teams probably will have made a mistake by not doing their homework. Uehara is one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. Where the other players had good numbers in Japan, Uehara also brings the same type of translatable ability that Daisuke Matsuzaka has. He knows how to pitch.

Uehara has been used as a reliever this year.  Was that a surprise to you, and which role do you think he’ll fill for an MLB team?

The shift that Yomiuri has made this season hurts his potential value. The Giants used Uehara as their closer to break him in during a late start, the result of a lingering hamstring injury suffered in Spring Training. The team raced off to a fast start and management decided to keep him there. He’s excelled in the role, but he’s not happy. He’s one of the premiere starters in Japan and shouldn’t be in the closer’s role. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Giants are doing it to spite him, as they know he will be gone next year. In no way, shape, or form should he be considered anything but a starter in the Major Leagues.

Many thanks to Mike Plugh for the interview.  I’ll post a couple of closing questions in Part 2 on Friday.

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