The Koji Conundrum: Part III
How's this deal sound to you?
A team signs a 34-year-old pitcher with a lot of wear and tear in his arm -- and the rest of his body -- to a two-year, $10 million contract.
And in a little over a year with his new club, the pitcher goes on the disabled list three times. In fact, he can't even start his second season with the team because he's back on the DL.
Think the team isn't kicking itself? Think it doesn't have visions of 10 million bucks being flushed down the toilet every time it sees this pitcher limp into the trainer's room?
Welcome to the Koji Uehara Story, now playing in Sarasota, a real horror story for the Orioles if you want to know the truth.
Now he's sidelined with a strained left hamstring that has him out of the lineup until . . . well, who knows? Good-bye season opener, that's for sure.
Privately, club officials wonder if Koji is really as brittle as he seems and whether he exaggerates the extent of his injuries.
Not that there's a whole lot they can do about it now.
He hasn't pitched since March 18. And when he'll pitch again is anybody's guess, which means the club is scrambling for another right-hander for the bullpen.
You wonder how this long, frustrating saga will end for both Koji and the Orioles.
Not well, I'm guessing -- at least not for the O's.
Comments
This team is going to lose at least a hundred games. The Koji debacle is simply par for the course. Face it... we have no ace, no clean-up hitter, a manager who can only lose a game, not win it, and no chance in hell; and we haven't even played a real game yet. This will be the worst. The absolute worst season ever. The writing is on the wall for those willing to see it.
Posted by: Joe | March 30, 2010 11:29 AM
Is there a credible reason to doubt Mr. Uehara? Can his interpreter be trusted or is he filtering the translation from Koji to the staff and management?? Why would this acquisition turning into a large waste be any different than say, Albert Belle???
Posted by: MasonDixonDude | March 30, 2010 11:33 AM
Come on Joe, dont hold back. Tell us what you really think
Posted by: Anonymous | March 30, 2010 1:48 PM
MasonDixinDude, how much of a translator to interpret IT HURTS, IT HURTS!!
Posted by: Pabloues | March 30, 2010 2:04 PM
"Privately, club officials wonder if Koji is really as brittle as he seems and whether he exaggerates the extent of his injuries."
GUESS IT'S NOT PRIVATE ANYMORE
Posted by: joefoss | March 30, 2010 2:26 PM
Why can't the O's just cut Koji. I can guarantee you the Ravens or any other football team would cut him if this was the best he had. I realize this isn't football but bad is bad. One doesn't need to be a front office person to see that. He hasn't done anything to show he was worth $5 million, much less $10 million. What was PA thinking. I swear it seems as if he does things just to drag us O's fans along, to drain us dry, to give us false hope. I guess the O's are going to continue to hang on to Jeremy Guthrie as well. Another guy who needs to back up when he picks up his paycheck.
Posted by: Tom D. | March 30, 2010 3:44 PM
do big league contracts contain disability
clauses,whereby an insurer pays the salary of the disabled? if so the club is off the hook for koji's contract, if not dumb move!!
Posted by: mike bohle | March 30, 2010 4:02 PM
Sounds familiar...Is Koji the new Erik Bedard?
Posted by: DonM | March 30, 2010 4:35 PM
Tom D.- ever hear of a guaranteed contract or are you new to baseball
Posted by: joefoss | March 31, 2010 12:17 AM