According to both Jon Heyman's Twitter and Ken Gurnick, Ned Colletti has come to his senses and passed on Chien-Ming Wang, former Yankee and current owner of a rehabbing bum shoulder.Headlines can only be funny in this scenario, as has been pointed out by kensai over at Memories Of Kevin Malone. A quick sampling:
"dodgers have pulled out of Wang derby"
"Dodgers passing on veteran Wang"
Most fans will be swayed by his back-t0-back 19 win seasons in 2006 and 2007, but wins are, for the umpteenth time, the worst statistical measurement of a pitcher. The worst. There is nothing worse that can be found. Every other measurement is better.
He had 19 wins because he played for the Yankees, who score more runs every year than probably half the teams in the league combined.*
*Exact math is not included, but you get the idea.*
Wang, aside from having the bum shoulder, will be 30 in March, and has only struck out 4.2/9 IP over his 5 seasons in pinstripes. He only walks 2.6/9 IP, but his walks per 9 innings has increased every year since 2006, ending up over 3 BB/9 IP each of the last 2 seasons. He has also suffered injuries each of the last 2 seasons, one of which was, yes, a foot injury running the bases. Which he would have to do on the regular if he were to suit up for the Dodgers.
Wang has a career WHIP of 1.339, has allowed 9.4 Hits/9 IP, and sports a 3.99 career FIP, certainly not bad, but not the ace-like number you would expect from someone so often referred to as a top-line pitcher.
The Dodgers don't need Wang, with plenty, plenty of pitching options. All not named Russ Ortiz, we can only hope.
To me, it just depends on the terms. He is worth a minor league deal with an invite to ST. But nothing more than that. Infact I see no qualms over the Giles deal as well. Too bad we didn't hold out on Jamey Carroll. We could have had him on a minor league deal as well, not that I think he is particularly useful.
ReplyDeleteHe's useful if we want to build a bench of veterans who can't hit, and certainly not with any consistency.
ReplyDeleteWhich apparently we do.
And regarding Wang, if he's signed and pitches, it would be as a starter, and McDonald and Elbert can do what he does, with far more upside. Same with Haeger and even (gasp!) Padilla.