Koji, say it ain't so! (signs w/ the Cubs 1yr)

[CarolinaBeerGuy]

I'm going to miss Koji. A lot.


Dombrowski says Sox had made an offer to Koji, he wasn't ready to give an answer, and so team moved on to Thornburg. Sox now out on Uehara.

 

[TonyPenaNeverJuiced]

Gotta wonder what Koji is thinking. King put out the possibility of him being a fallback option for... them. Who knows, maybe he could get a nice payday in the NPL if he's just about ready to hang it up.

 

[Sprowl]

Split off from the Thornburgh thread.

***

This is very sad news to me -- Koji is one of my all-time favorite Red Sox, and his 2013 season and playoffs were transcendent.

Koji. Not soon anymore.

 

[Rough Carrigan]

Damn. I hope he still comes back somehow. I love watching lefties flail hopelessly at his splitter.

 

[Blue Monkey]

High Fives Koji...

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

The look on Victorino's face in that video is one of my lasting memories of that season (beyond postseason stuff, obviously).

 

[Tangled Up In Red]

So much love for Koji. I'd love him back for one more run.

If not to be, I hope it is a success for him in the NL or NPL.

 

[begranter]

High Fives Koji...

I remember him doing this in Baltimore too and loving it once he was here. That energy, focus, and drive Uehara displayed after those 7th and 8th innings was infectious. I always thought that was really key for that 2013 team's success, especially once he was closing games.

 

[canderson]

Oh man, this is sad. Koji, you were so fun to watch, thank you.

I hope he goes to the Nationals, saves 50 games and loses to Kimbrel next October.

 

[Blue Monkey]

 

[Sprowl]

In the rearview mirror

 

[phrenile]

Koji met with the manager for the Yomiuri Giants yesterday, but his blog post about it is mostly fat jokes.

 

[Frank Fenway]

First Foulke and Paps and now Koji. WS relief heroes just never stick around.

 

[Minneapolis Millers]

Can't help but love Koji. But he's old, guys, lost his pal Papi, and did actually stick around longer than I expected after '13. I, too, was hoping he'd come back one last time, but nothing lasts forever (except for championship banners).

 

[chrisfont9]

Can't help but love Koji. But he's old, guys, lost his pal Papi, and did actually stick around longer than I expected after '13. I, too, was hoping he'd come back one last time, but nothing lasts forever (except for championship banners).

Well, like Ortiz we can all imagine him keeping on going, based on how he performed last year. At least with Ortiz we had some explanation about why he might feel done. I haven't seen anything from Koji, though that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Ah well, I'm sure the Kintetsu Buffaloes bullpen could use some reinforcement.

 

[TonyPenaNeverJuiced]

In this market, I have to think he could get a multi-year deal. Maybe just two years, but the guy was his old self after coming back from injury last year.

 

[Bowlerman9]

In this market, I have to think he could get a multi-year deal. Maybe just two years, but the guy was his old self after coming back from injury last year.

I agree with this. Once Jansen and Chapman sign, you are going to see a rush on guys like Koji and Ziegler to get multi-year deals.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Koji Uehara...42 year old Koji Uehara...is going to get a multi-year deal?

I know the reliever market is going a little crazy but is anyone really going to go multiple years on a 42 year old, even one as good as Koji has been? He's been hurt each of the last two years and he isn't getting any younger. Seems risky for a lot of teams to sign him for one, let alone more.

 

[brandonchristensen]

His last Dirty Water delivery...

 

[Van Everyman]

Koji met with the manager for the Yomiuri Giants yesterday, but his blog post about it is mostly fat jokes.

Is there any buzz about Koji considering retirement? I agree he looked good after he came back last year – and I have no doubt he could get a good deal, possibly for multiple years.

But given the injuries and that he wasn't ready to give DD an answer, you have to wonder if he'd rather hang them up than pitch at a level below the standard he set for himself in 2013-14.

 

[phrenile]

Is there any buzz about Koji considering retirement?

I don't see any, except for random fans on Twitter hoping he doesn't. The Japanese press are mostly repeating the U.S. reports about possible interest by the Marlins and Yankees (an excuse to talk about Ichiro and Tanaka respectively).

 

[InsideTheParker]

For me, 2013 was as much the Koji show as 2004 was the Keith Foulke show. A dark day, that I should have anticipated after the Thornburg signing, I guess, but didn't. I'm keeping my avatar, anyway.

 

[luckysox]

For me, 2013 was as much the Koji show as 2004 was the Keith Foulke show. A dark day, that I should have anticipated after the Thornburg signing, I guess, but didn't. I'm keeping my avatar, anyway.

I'm with you. Only Papi holds a higher place on my list of 2013 heroes, which, to me, was such an enjoyable series because it was so unexpected. And I don't think even papa made me smile the way Koji did. Cheers, to Koji, and thank you.

 

[chrisfont9]

I'm with you. Only Papi holds a higher place on my list of 2013 heroes, which, to me, was such an enjoyable series because it was so unexpected. And I don't think even papa made me smile the way Koji did. Cheers, to Koji, and thank you.

+1 more. As I mentioned in another thread, we have a very nice three-year-old dog named Koji as a result of that October.

 

[Adrian's Dome]

One thing that's always missed about just how valuable Koji was to the Sox in 2013 was Andrew Miller's injury.

Koji putting up that season made Miller's foot essentially irrelevant.

 

[InstaFace]

I'll accept that this might be a dumb question, but: what considerations would prohibit the Sox from re-signing Koji as well as Thornburg, if Koji wanted to remain here? It's not like we have a murderer's row of a bullpen right now.

Kimbrel
Thornburg
Barnes
Hembree
(Kelly?)
Abad
Robbie "The Lawnmower" Ross

FAs: Uehara, Tazawa

I wouldn't feel the slightest bit sorry to reclaim Koji and nudge Abad or even Barnes off the roster. A bullpen made up of 2 proven quality players, 4 replacement-level guys and Joe Kelly is pretty risky overall. The problem is cost, of course - Ross, Abad, Kelly and Hembree are all arb-eligible - but we've got the money, and that makes any of them a valuable trade asset if the Sox don't project them to improve.

 

[glasspusher]

Always happy to buy you a beer, Koji, your place in my heart is secure.

 

[Tokyo Sox]

Koji met with the manager for the Yomiuri Giants yesterday, but his blog post about it is mostly fat jokes.

I wouldn't say he "met with him" in an exploring options sense, so much as they just caught up for a bit. They were teammates on the Giants for about 10 years and are the same age. Yoshinobu played through the 2015 season, probably wasn't planning on retiring, but then the Giants told him he was the new manager so he retired. 2016 was his first year as the Giants manager.

I don't see Koji coming back to NPB as a player, but if he did it would be with the Giants so who knows.

 

[edoug]

Among my favorite things about Koji is, what seemed like, the 30 second ninth innings. The way that he could blow away major league hitters with his 87 mph fastball is absolutely mystical.

 

[Tokyo Sox]

Ah well, I'm sure the Kintetsu Buffaloes bullpen could use some reinforcement.

That hasn't been a team since before Koji went to the bigs. They merged with Ichiro's old team, the Orix Blue Wave, in 2005 and have since been known as the Orix Buffaloes.

 

[BroodsSexton]

That hasn't been a team since before Koji went to the bigs. They merged with Ichiro's old team, the Orix Blue Wave, in 2005 and have since been known as the Orix Buffaloes.

Sounds like they could really use some reinforcement.

 

[Ted Cox 4 president]

Sad news. I love Koji, unconditionally.

 

[phrenile]

Nikkan Sports is reporting the Cubs and Koji agreed to $4.5M/1y.

 

[rembrat]

Oh fuck off not the Cubs.

 

[Sprowl]

Oh fuck off not the Cubs.

Theo scoops up another Red Sox alumnus.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

4.5 for Koji is a hell of a bargain. Expecting Taz to follow suit and head to Chicago

 

[riveraulwick]

Wonder what DD's offer was?

 

[Erik Hanson's Hook]

Fuck the Cubs. Can't wait to hand them an ass-kicking next fall.

 

[InsideTheParker]

This makes me want to watch the Cubs next year, but I wonder if Koji will pitch often enough to shell out for mlb.tv. He would have been great on the Sox for tie games, for which our closer sucks. Maybe Thornburg will be doing that and maybe we'll come to like him. But I can't imagine he'll have Koji's charm.

 

[phrenile]

Fuck the Cubs. Can't wait to hand them an ass-kicking next fall.

Plus the three game interleague series in April.

 

[RoDaddy]

One of my favorite Boston sports athletes ever although, as a longtime Boston sports addict, he's admittedly part of a long list. I remember the first time I saw him pitch thinking he'll never be much of anything as he maxed out at 89 mph. So much for that simplistic scouting report. Then came the long scoreless streak. And the high five video. And Papi picking him up after wins while Koji let out a high pitched "Papi!". And closing out the AL and World series. I used to hope for a Sox-Cubs dream world series but not anymore - I couldn't take pulling against all the guys that used to be Sox heroes including Lester and Koji.

 

[Marciano490]

Oh fuck off not the Cubs.

Say it ain't so-ji?

 

[InstaFace]

It's OK, his fastball goes slow-ji.

 

[Van Everyman]

Oh fuck off not the Cubs.

I wish Koji all the love in the world but seeing Cubs fans turn him into a cuddle doll like they did with David Ross is not my idea of a good time.

 

[Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat]

I can only hope that, after one conversation with Maddon, he changes his mind and retires.

 

[CaliforniaSoxRedSox]

I'm certainly a fan of all the action and moving parts this off-season, just can't say I'm a fan of what's moving around haha. Of course getting Sale, on my birthday no less, was a huge win; losing Koji hurts but the guys the same age as Keith Richards how much of that flashy gas he was able to showcase intermittently during 2016 is left in the tank?

 

[Norm Siebern]

Just to echo the prevailing sentiment, Koji is one of my favourite Red Sox of all time. He brought true joy to watching games, rare in that regard as I tend to give baseball too much grim importance. But with Koji it was just pure pleasure. What a joy. Good luck to him and may have nothing but happiness and success going forward. The drinks are on me Koji if we were to ever meet.

 

[Captaincoop]

It wasn't worth $4.6M for one year to see if he could be a useful piece in a bullpen that needs a couple more useful pieces?

 

[Al Zarilla]

I can only hope that, after one conversation with Maddon, he changes his mind and retires.

Even Maddonese might not get through the translator.

 

[Snodgrass'Muff]

It wasn't worth $4.6M for one year to see if he could be a useful piece in a bullpen that needs a couple more useful pieces?

This site has them at just under 181 million before arbitration.

They have:

Arb 1 - Bogaerts, Holt, Leon, JBJ, Workman and Thornburg
Arb 2 - Kelly, Pomeranz and Ross
Arb 3 - Abad

Ben Buchanan at OTM estimated they'd spend around $25 million in arbitration this year, so that puts them at around $206 million or so. Even if you think that arb estimate is high, we're still not incorporating the other factors that go into payroll like medical benefits which usually run somewhere around 10 million, so you could cut his number in half and they'd still be at a little more than $203M. If his guess is accurate, they're way over the threshold.

So no, they didn't have 4.6 million to roll the dice on Koji not being toast. At least, not yet they don't. Plus, I'm not sure I'd want him on the team ahead of any of the non-optionable bullpen arms they already have to try and squeeze onto the roster, except for Abad who probably isn't worth going through the Arb process with. Koji was phenomenal in 2013 and 2014, but he's oft injured and fairly pedestrian these days, mostly because he is so homerun prone.

It's tough to be a dominant reliever with an 87 mph fastball. Tip your cap and move on.