Tsuyoshi Wada

[Matt P]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orio ... 6116.story

[ofahn]

Depending on the contract it could be a good risk. In effect, another Eveland. Bring enough of these guys to camp and you will almost certainly end up with at least one quality starter.

The other benefit is that the kids see these rumors and it gives them a reason to work harder if they want to keep their jobs.

[TuckerBlair89]

Interesting signing to say the least. He is a durable, control guy. He walked more people than Koji did in Japan, so it should be interesting to see how he plays in the MLB.

Can't complain about the signing really though.
Maybe this helps them get Darvish..........just kidding!

[Don]

The one major concern is that he tends to make a few mistakes a game. Those mistakes are not exploited in the NPB and may be masked in a larger park and against weaker lineups, where mistakes can still be outs. His command can be strong, but one or two mistakes will negate everything else that he did for an outing.

I do think the guy can pitch effectively in the majors, but his exposure may have to be limited. I fear the same way as I did with Koji. Wada will be a liability going through a lineup more than once. He may be successful with the lack of knowledge and his change of pace style, but you better have pin-pin-pin point accuracy to survive with his arsenal.

If he comes over and waivers a time or two a game getting caught out in the open, it will not play well in Camden Yards.

But he throws from the left side and shows three average pitches, there is a chance that the Orioles can find the diamond in the rough twice from Japan.

[Rising O's]

2 + 1 is a pretty strong commitment. They must really like him. Welcome to Baltimore Tsuyoshi!

[ofahn]

What I like best about this signing is that it adds talent without giving anything up (except money).

[TuckerBlair89]

2 + 1 is a pretty strong commitment. They must really like him. Welcome to Baltimore Tsuyoshi!

It's on par with what Koji was paid last season, so it does make some sense.

Realistically like Don said, we shouldn't expect the world from him but he could be a solid find and a nice little piece if he works out correctly. I could totally see him ending up in the pen though.

[TuckerBlair89]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhzxuFPiNio

http://www.justin.tv/iammatrix/b/268936324
Videos for anyone who has not seen him (like myself)
The first one is a highlight reel, the second one shows people making some contact at least.

[Don]

Wada has fringe stuff at best. What I find funny is everyone saying he has pinpoint control. His command can waver and he will get tagged hard when you allow hitters to sit on pitches. These are some of the best lineup in the world that money can buy. I do not see him pitching well in Baltimore.

He must be shielding in a bullpen and it is not a lock that he ends up the go to left hander next season.

A 2 year and 8 million, it is worth the risk, but this landscape makes it seem as it if will be a 4/5 starter. It is just not the case when the chip are down in the AL East.

[A_K]

At 2 years and $8.5 mill, looks like a potential bargain. Doesn't seem to have great stuff or fantastic control, but he gets more swings and misses than you'd otherwise expect. That, and his being a lefty, make it a reasonable commitment at a small cost.

[ofahn]

At 2 years and $8.5 mill, looks like a potential bargain. Doesn't seem to have great stuff or fantastic control, but he gets more swings and misses than you'd otherwise expect. That, and his being a lefty, make it a reasonable commitment at a small cost.

And he can be optioned if he needs some adjustment time.

[mthompson]

We need to keep adding talent. Wada is a good start. but lets not stop there. Yin should be next and we I do believe both cuban players would be a really nice infusion of talent. Solar projects as a more advanced Bubba Starling and would become a top 20-40 mlb prospect and Cespedes is, from all accounts, a beast and would be a instanty a top 10 prospect. Who cares if it is 60 mill. I could name 300 mill worth of signing that made less sense then this. This allows Jones to be expendable, he can also net a top 100 prospect or 2. Now your looking like a team with a future.

projected rankings

machado- top-5
bundy-top 10
cepedes-top 10
schoop-top 60
2 players from the Jones trade

that would give us upwards of 6 top prospects with full control. If you add Bobby Bundy, Hoes, Mahoney to along with guys like Weiters, Johnson, Matusz, Arrieta, Wada, Yin, Reynolds, Markakis, Strop, Britton. Now you have something to be excited about and you know what you have. We can go ahead and add a good arm and a couple big bats over the next few years to round out the team, but this is whole good teams are made. Look at what the royals and pirates have done and the excitment surrounding them.

[Don]

Wada is not a good start, nor is he a smart start....

He is fringe material that is tied down for more than one season. I do not see him in a rotation, I do not see him as the first left hander out of the bullpen....his stuff will not play well in Camden Yards and he will get lit up like a Christmas tree.

Fastball - 40/45
Slider - 45/50
Change Up - 45/50

Command wavers at times...this is an awful combination that would not strike fear in any hitter when they can sit on the fastball and still not be fooled by off speed. Unless he is limited in exposure or somehow unlock 80 command and 80 control, this is not a marriage anyone will like by mid-season.

[Matt P]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.ph ... oshi-wada/

[Don]

The one thing that might pose a huge problem is the ball. Even there new standardize balls do not match 100% with the Rawlings issued MLB approved baseball.

Does the size effect him where he cannot spin the ball? Does the feel cause an even larger issue with command?

I am not saying this guy is a total wash, but temper expectations. He is almost a bullpen only arm. The difference between the fastball and his secondaries may not be big enough to keep an MLB hitter from squaring up.

I absolutely hate being down on the dumps about any player, but if he can be a one win player out of the bullpen this should be called a success. I would feel better about Chen, because I actually feel he could be a safe 4/5 arm in the rotation.