What mistake did I make? I didn't sign him lol.
I mean I watched him pitch for years in the NPB. He was nasty. He had command issues for a long time and once he put it together he was basically unstoppable. He had a 17 strikeout game a year ago. Flirted with multiple no hitters. Including getting a combined one after pitching 8 innings. Both lead the league in ERA and WHIP. He was easily the most dominant NPB pitcher after Yamamoto left to the Big Leagues.
Its not always a slam dunk transition. I just think after 15 starts where he has had both injury and adjustment issues its a little early to write him off.
I mean the deadline isn't until Monday. Teams haven't gave their best offers yet. I think will see most things get done Sunday and Monday.
For years July 31st has been painted in our heads. But the deadline is now August 3rd. Feels weird.
I think he’s 100 percent going to have to make some off-season adjustments on grips, shapes, and tunneling. He doesn’t go from having some of the best pure stuff the NPB has seen to middling stuff in the MLB. More to unlock for sure.
If you want to give him credit for those guys. You have to criticize him for Yesavage, And everyone else who has under performed this Season outside of the guys you mentioned.
Obviously Cease and Varland have been elite. Cease biggest adjustment was his head turn that he experimented with himself. Not something Pete Walker told him to do.
Obviously meant as sarcasm but not entirely inaccurate. In Japan they celebrate their stars and players even when things are going poorly. American culture you can be the hero one minute and everyones punching bag the next. Yankees fans boo Aaron Judge when he slumps.
Imai has opened up about his struggles multiple times about the culture, life style changes, issues being away from family. It all kind of takes its toll. It also doesn’t help help that he experienced dead arm and the MLB Travel schedule is a lot more taxing than what they see in NPB.
if people here really want to try to dog on me for saying I wanted him on this team because I think he can be very good that’s fine. I still think that. His ERA is inflated and obviously the walks have been high but I like a lot of the other numbers.
Once he gets things situated in the off-season I would not be shocked if he bounced back next season as one of the better pitchers in Baseball. He has that kind of ability.
I’m all in favour of bringing Guasman back. Right now the focus needs to be extracting as much value out of Gausman, Bieber, Springer, Varsho, and potentially Hoffman as possible.
If the owners don't back of their stance of wanting a salary cap I don't think their is any chance we have Baseball next Season. The players will push back against it until they have no choice. It's going to be a long Baseball Winter.