ON A LIMITED SCALE, THE 2 OMAR INKED TAKAHASHI & IGARASHI, THE YOUNGER IGGY, WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE MUCH BETTER OPTION TO TRANSLATE TO MLB AS HE WAS A SUPER CLOSER, & WASW ALREADY WORKING OUT WITH THE INCREASED CIRCUMFERANCED MLB APPROVED BALL WHILE TAKAHASHI WAS REPORTED AS THE “RELUCTANT” WARRIOR, MORE LIKELY TO SYTUGGLE IN ADJUSTING.

BOB, LIKE PEARL HARBOR, WHEN IT COMES TO JAPANESE BASEBALL IMPORTS, IT’S RARELY WHAT U EXPECTED. THE TRUE SUCCESS STORIES SEEM TO BE THE QUIETER LESS OBVIOUS MOVES; NOT THE FLAMBOYANT MEGAMILLION SIGNEES; BUT MORE OFTEN THE POOR BEGGAR SNEAKING ACEOSS ON HORSEBACK. BOB, DOEAS THAT ‘DARVISH’ COMMAND TRANSLATE TO THE LARGERT BALL? WHO KNOWS? THERE HAVE BEEN MAMY,MANY MORE FAUILED IMPORTS THAN TRUE SUCCESS STORIES. CONSIDERING AL THAT BECAME INVOLVED WITH BLIND POSTING FEES IN THE NOSEBLEED ARENA THE DESPERATION OF “SUPERSPENDERS” LIKE THE NYY WHO SMARTED BY BEING #3 ON DICE-K, WHO’LIKELY OPEN WITH A BID SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT DENMARK FOR A YEAR. THE POTENTIAL FOR A DARVISH TO EVER OUTPERFORM HIS TOTAL INVESTMENT OR DEBUT IN BLUE,ORANGE IS EQUALLY DISMAL. SO SORRY; BUT WE ARE MILES AWAY FROM 1 PITCHER ACQUISITION MAKING A DIFFERENCE WHEN, IN MY ESTIMATION, NEARLY 11 OF THE 12 ON STAFF ALL SHOULD BE UPGRADED BEGFRE U EVEN CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL IMPOERTANCE OF ONE SIGNIFICANT SIGNING.
NO MATTER HOW U SLICE IT, REYES IS BY FAR THE LESS EXPENSIVE ALTERATIVE AS WELL AS THE MORE LIKELY CONTRIBUTOR TOWARD IMPROVEMENT BOTH IN RECORD & ATTENDANCE

started young, took a few years to develop, then had some good seasons in his late 20s (including his career year), and starts to tail off as he crosses 30 (tailing off often starts earlier for a catcher too I think, with some notable exceptions).

Carasco? I don’t care who signed him, I doubt he will be back.

ALEX I’M CERTAINLY AWARE OF MEJIA’S EARLY UNAVAILABILITY; BUT CERTAINLY THE GM NEEDS TO PLAN AS I CAN SEE MEJIA’S FAILED INJURY HAMPERED STARTING REVISION BEING REVISITED BY THIS NON INVESTED REGIME WITH MEJIA A POTENTIAL CLOSER CANDIDATE FOR ASTER THE ASG. IT APPEARS ALDERSON HAS HIS OWN ESTIMATED MONETARY VALUE FOR MID INNING RELIEF @ AROUND 1.5M MAX, AS SUCH IT ISN’T APPARENT HOW MANY OF THOSE AVAILABLES WILL BE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR. RELIEF IS THE MOST UNTRUSTWORTHY CONSIDERATION WHEN CONDTRUCTING A ROSTER & AS SUCH TODAY’S STRENGTH MAY ACTUALLY APPEAR IN GAMES AS THE BIGGEST BUST & VICE-VERSA IT’S NOT CONSIDERED BY EXPERTS AS A CRAPSHOOT FOR NOTHING.

I BELIEVE BOTH SIGNINGS ARE, LIKE MOST, A GAMBLE IN AS MUCH AS REYES IS A KNOWN QUANTITY @ AN EXTREMELY HIGH MLB ACCOMPLISHMENT LEVEL & HIS PRIMARY FAULT IS THE TYPICAL INJURY ISSUE WITH HIS CALIBER OF PLAYER AS HE’S MISSED 28% OF THE CAREER GAMES HE WAS SUPPOSED TO PLAY. IN AS MUCH AS THAT HISTORY SHOULD QJUALIFY ANY EMPLOYER FOR THE OPTION TO ADD INHURY UNSURANCE MITIGATING MUCH OF THE FIN’L EXPOSURE/RISK. IT CERTAINLY APPEARS FOR EVERY “CAN’T MISS, WORLDCLASS NIPPONESE LEAGUE PLAYER/PITCHER THAT BECOMES AVAILABLE A ISSUE OF “NOT QWUITE” SEEMS TO ARIS WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS(SUZULI, NOMO).
SORRY, EVERYONE EVEN IF SANTANA WERE TO COME BACK @ HIS NY BEST, HE ONLY WINS BET 15 & 17 & AS SUCH THEY NEED MUCH MORE THAN ONE MORE SIGNIFICANT PITCHING UPGRADE AT BEST, SIGNING REYES @ 22M THEY ARE LIKELY TO FIELD MOST OF THE SAME TEAM EXCL PAULINO,HARRIS,HAIRSTON AS THEY NEED TO FOCUS PRIMARILY ON MINIMUM WAGE EARNERS TO SUPPLY THE 18 PLAYERS STILL REQUIRED FOR A 25 MAN ROSTER MINIMUM @ APPROX 425,000 EACH AS BEST AS I CAN GUESS 2 SP, 5 BP, 2C, 1B,2B,RF,BENCH WILL BE COMPLETED MOST LIKELY WITH 9 @ MINIMUM WAGE SCALE OF APPROX 425-450K EACH AT A MAX PAYROLL HIT OF $4-5M
I CERTAINLY WOULDN’T BE SHOCKED,SUPRISED OR DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THE OPENING DAY 25 AS:
SANTANA
DICKEY
NIESE
GEE
TBD, SP #5
CARRASCO
BYEDAK
HERRERA
STINSON
PARNELL
MEJIA
TBD FINAL BP SLOT
THOLE, C#1
NICKEAS, C#2
DAVIS, IB
TEJADA, 2B
WRIGHT, 3B
REYES,SS
BAY, LF/RF
PAGAN,CF
DUDA,RF/LF
BENCH: MURPHY,TURNER,EVANS,PRIDIE

BY ESTIMATING REYES @ 22M, #5 SP @ 4M, #7 BULLPEN ARM @ MINIMUM THE TOTAL PAYROLL REPRESENTED HERE FROM AN “ACTUAL* $$$ PAID ESTIMATE” IS****$94,475,000****.

*NB SANTTANA CONTRACTED 2012 SALARY OF 24M INCLUDES 5M DEFERRED 7 YRS UNTIL 6/30/’19 ACTUAL PAYROLL EFFECT IS 19M NOT 24M.

So yeah, it is a bit different signing a guy from japan than going after a proven ML stud in his prime. If Darvish had put up those numbers for say KC and was now hitting FA, all bets would be off!

No Japanese pitcher has ever been consistently productive in the MLB for longer than a year. And many start to show the decline before that year is out!

Reyes may not last an entire season without injury but at least he has shown that he can be consistent when he’s on the field. Just keep him on the field!

These japanese imports get top dollar and usually give little to show for it in the long run!

If it comes down to Yu or Jose I take Jose everytime!
At least I know he will be earning his money two years from now!