Wada bandwagon?

[champaignchris]

I put the "?" there because I haven't decided if I'm on board yet.

 

Here's a guy who had a fairly illustrious career in Japan - his nickname was "Dr. K," he was 16-5 with a 1.51 ERA and 168 Ks in 184 IP in his last year in Japan - and was a relatively notable signing for the Orioles heading into the 2012 season, 2 years at $4 million per with a team option for a third year. Then his arm went ka-boom in Spring Training, he had TJS, and spent basically all of 2012 and 2013 recovering and rehabbing. Not sure you can put too much stock in the numbers he posted in AAA at the end of 2013. Have no idea what kind of shape he was in.

 

The Cubs invited him to Spring Training. That didn't even cause a ripple. Didn't even get his own thread in "Transactions" here. After posting an 8.38 ERA in Arizona, the Cubs released him and then offered him a minor league contract. No team in the league bit on him, and again it wasn't even noted by us here.

 

Now he's had 18 starts at Iowa with a 2.77 ERA and 6 starts in the Bigs with a 3.15 (3.85 FIP). I'm assuming he's making veteran minimum and BR says he isn't even arb eligible until 2017. He turns 34 in February.

 

What do we think?

 

I'm inclined to think it's smoke and mirrors, but each decent start leads me to think less so.

[Sammy Sofa]

What is he, 112?

[Hairyducked Idiot]

He's a guy

[A New Era]

Baez knows his name, so.

[Guest]

Solid depth as a 6/7 starter for me, that's about it.

 

My SP rank as of where things stand now going into 2015:

 

1) Arrieta

2) Hendricks

3) Wood

4) Straily

5) Turner

6) Wada

7) Edwin

8) Beeler

9) Jokisch

10) Rusin

11) Doubront

 

Hopefully every single one of them moves down a notch (or two) by March.

[Deeg]

I'm not sure why there's be an assumption he's smoke and mirrors when he was one of the best SP in Japan, and we've seen so many Japanese SP have success in MLB. TJS isn't a death a sentence in this day and age.

 

Wada throws 89-91 and his fastball plays faster because of his delivery. He has a good mix of breaking pitches, changes speeds, and doesn't walk guys. He can get Ks on his fastball and his curve. He's going to give up some HRs because he likes to challenge guys up, but he has plenty to be a good #4-5 type guy, and maybe even a mid-rotation starter. He's 33 - so what? He's cheap and under team control, so there's no reason he can't be a contributor for 2-3 seasons at least.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

he's basically an old, left-handed Hendricks

[Deeg]

he's basically an old, left-handed Hendricks

 

No he's not. Hendricks is a pitch to contact guy who keeps the ball down in the zone, and doesn't get much swing and miss. Wada is basically a strikeout pitcher without an overpowering fastball. Wada will have more Ks, a higher fly-ball rate and (obviously) more HRs. Effectiveness-wise they may end up being pretty close, but their approach is completely different.

[DiamondMind]

He's what Travis Wood was supposed to be this year

[Deeg]

Well, Wood this year is what his peripherals for the last two years said he was, basically. These things have a tendency to equalize given enough time.

[davell]

I think Wada takes Villanueva's swing role next year.

[Guest]

I've been a fan of Wada's for a long time, and even 6 weeks ago I would've been perfectly fine with him being an end of rotation option for next year. But since that time they've added Straily, Turner, and Doubront, plus Hendricks has hit MLB running. Considering Wada doesn't have any big plus to hang his hat on(He's simply good in many areas instead of having big stuff or Hendricks' command), each successive year you have to worry about his stuff deteriorating a little bit and him collapsing, and that I'm not even 100% certain he's under team control for next year, I don't think he's a realistic option for the MLB roster. If he is high enough on the totem pole to even be the swing man given the current depth and the fact that everyone wants them to add SP on top of that, things have gone wrong. My hope is that we do have him for 5 more years and we can use him as a minor trade chip in the offseason.

[Deeg]

I've been a fan of Wada's for a long time, and even 6 weeks ago I would've been perfectly fine with him being an end of rotation option for next year. But since that time they've added Straily, Turner, and Doubront, plus Hendricks has hit MLB running. Considering Wada doesn't have any big plus to hang his hat on(He's simply good in many areas instead of having big stuff or Hendricks' command), each successive year you have to worry about his stuff deteriorating a little bit and him collapsing, and that I'm not even 100% certain he's under team control for next year, I don't think he's a realistic option for the MLB roster. If he is high enough on the totem pole to even be the swing man given the current depth and the fact that everyone wants them to add SP on top of that, things have gone wrong. My hope is that we do have him for 5 more years and we can use him as a minor trade chip in the offseason.

 

I had a chat with Bruce Miles about this yesterday. He said Wada is definitely under team control, and he sounded pretty convinced he was a serious factor in the rotation thinking for next season.

[illiniguy]

Solid depth as a 6/7 starter for me, that's about it.

 

My SP rank as of where things stand now going into 2015:

 

1) Arrieta

2) Hendricks

3) Wood

4) Straily

5) Turner

6) Wada

7) Edwin

8) Beeler

9) Jokisch

10) Rusin

11) Doubront

 

Hopefully every single one of them moves down a notch (or two) by March.

If Jake is our three we are in for a fun year.

[Guest]

I'd put Turner and Wada ahead of Straily right now

 

 

I guess Jaxon maybe is better than those guys after him

[Heisenberg]

He's too old.

 

Therefore, I'm not gonna do it. Sorry.

[Deeg]

Complete game shutout!

[champaignchris]

Complete game shutout!

 

Sorta. But another nice start.