May 22, 2007...3:07 am
News From the Pacific: Buy Matsui and Kuo Before the Spike
Two players I mentioned in my on the mend write-up a month ago are finally back getting regular playing time. If you read that article at the time, you might’ve picked up Dan Johnson for next to nothing and been pretty happy with his production so far. Well, Hong-Chih Kuo finally returned to the Dodgers a week ago, and Kaz Matsui made an appearance at second base for the Rockies last night for the first time in five weeks. Both could easily match Johnson’s value over the rest of the season.
Kuo is a 25-year-old Taiwanese pitcher whose massive strikeout potential is overshadowed only by his health issues. This is the kind of guy who can fly under the radar because he hasn’t logged a lot of innings lately, but he’ll turn some heads when he shows the killer stuff that has him running a 11.2K/9 in the majors and 12.3K/9 in the minors for his career. The Dodgers planned on giving him a the rotation spot over Billingsley this year, and could follow through on that plan after a solid week or two in relief.
Most of you remember the fanfare when Kaz Matsui came over from Japan to the Mets. The Japanese version of Derek Jeter never caught his stride in the majors, putting up several disappointing seasons in NY before getting traded to the Rockies last year. Since landing in Colorado, Kaz has hit .353 with 13SB in 42 games. Batting second last night, he hit two doubles and drove in three runs. Matsui is only 31 and was a superstar on par with Hideki Matsui in Japan, so it’s possible he can still put up a productive year or two in the states. He could hit .280-.300 with 20SB and a boatload of runs batting second for the Rockies, and that’s better than what half of the teams in your league are running out at 2B right now.
I’d take a flyer on these guys in any league 14-teams or deeper. They’re the kind of low-cost, high-return players that can make your solid team into a dominant one if things bounce your way. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
8 Comments
May 22, 2007 at 10:12 pm
My team is set except for second base. I really hope Matsui turns into the player he was supposed to be.
May 23, 2007 at 12:14 am
I have to say that I really enjoy your site. I go to a ton of sites similar to this, but you always have some exceptional insight that most others do not have. I have not ran across any sites suggesting Kuo as a pickup…but it makes sense to me. What are your thoughts on Andy Sonnanstine? He seems to be flying under the radar but it doesn’t look like TB is going to give him a shot any time soon.
May 23, 2007 at 3:19 am
I’d been holding on to Kuo for a while…and then he stupidly gets sent down to AAA. I guess they might be stretching him out down there, which maybe would make him worth holding on to? Billingsley’s been money too though, so they are both viable rotation candidates.
May 23, 2007 at 12:50 pm
I like the fact that the Dodgers sent Kuo down, Keith. It doesn’t appear they did it out of need, as they called up Tony Abreu to be the third backup infielder (behind Betemit and Martinez) in Kuo’s place.
I think Kuo’s demotion is a sign the Dodgers plan on starting him in the near future. They want to get him stretched out and bring him back up to take Tomko’s spot in the rotation. It makes a lot more sense than just sticking him in that spot in the majors when he hasn’t started since spring training.
I own Kuo in two 20-team dynasty leagues, and I’ve held onto him all season long. I’m going to continue to do so until this plays out one way or another.
May 24, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Hong-Chih Kuo’s slated to start June 2nd for the Dodgers. Yay for Kuo fans!
May 24, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Thanks for the kind words CNBurn. You have to like the numbers that Sonnanstine puts up, but I put him in the Clippard/Baker/Slowey group of guys who have the great peripherals but might not have the stuff to support them in the bigs.
I like pitchers like this better if they can get a lot of ground balls, which none in this group really do. The guy with the best stuff is Slowey, and I think he’ll be a Chuck James-type pitcher in the big leagues–decent K’s and lots of fly balls. You can see from James’ K:BB ratios what can happen to a guy with great peripherals but mediocre stuff.
I put Sonny in a group with the other three–you have to throw them at a wall and see if they stick. I think all will get a chance to start a decent number of games in the bigs this year, and we’ll just have to wait and see.
May 25, 2007 at 9:59 am
i needed pitching and a 2b so i have both your asian recommendations. here’s to you being right. actually, in looking at me previously disheveled rotation, half my new guys are on your advice. does that give you co-manager credit? for your sake, i hope not.
May 25, 2007 at 8:05 pm
I hope Mitre is one of those new guys Adam, as he’s mowing down the Mets tonight–4IP 3H 0ER 0BB 5K so far, with six groundouts to one flyout.
He’s not going to slow down if he keeps getting ground balls at this rate.
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