The Cubs signed Hong Chih Kuo to a minor league contract according to Patrick Mooney.
#Cubs have signed Hong-Chih Kuo, an All-Star in 2010, to a minor-league deal. He will report to Mesa.
— Patrick Mooney (@CSNMooney) June 4, 2012
Kuo was once a pretty good reliever. Taking the average of the non-Fans projections available on Fangraphs gives us these percentiles for Kuo.
| % | G | GS | W | L | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | HBP | SO | RA | ERA | FIP | WAR |
| 80% | 50 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 45 | 29 | 16 | 13 | 2 | 18 | 1 | 59 | 3.24 | 2.70 | 2.16 | 1.3 |
| 65% | 48 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 43 | 30 | 18 | 15 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 52 | 3.73 | 3.14 | 2.85 | 0.8 |
| Baseline | 46 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 32 | 19 | 16 | 4 | 21 | 2 | 46 | 4.21 | 3.59 | 3.54 | 0.3 |
| 35% | 37 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 28 | 17 | 15 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 34 | 4.69 | 4.04 | 4.23 | 0.0 |
| 20% | 27 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 22 | 14 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 24 | 5.18 | 4.48 | 4.92 | -0.2 |
These were pre-season projections so we would need to adjust the playing time to be more accurate. Kuo is coming off an injury so I wouldn't put a lot of weight into these projections. He was dominating in 2010 and terrible in 2011. The walk rate was out of control last season.
0.3 WAR? He’s probably the best reliever in the bullpen! (dying laughing)
@ Berselius:
He could be this team’s MVP.
@ Berselius:
If he reaches his projections he’s definitely the best reliever this team has. I could see a world in which two players who were DFA’d are the Cubs best relievers (Camp and Kuo). (dying laughing)
I guess Carrie Muskat tweeted that they aren’t going to call up Rizzo for interleague play. I think they don’t want to start an argument about whether he should stay up, just a guess.
Apparently there is a game on now.
Game stream if anyone is interested.
http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/55141/1/san-francisco-giants-vs-chicago-cubs-live-stream-online.html
Shark just wants to win
Michael Bowden ———–> Iowa after clearing waivers
@ Berselius:
Real men get their own run support.
F7 not fooling anyone so far.
He could still work out of this jam.
Fucking nasty splitfinger.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
He did just hang clown shoes on Theriot though (dying laughing)
Theriot had as much chance versus that pitch as I have right now in my living room.
Oooh, lucky…
Nice recovery from F7 there.
Awesome. Everyone knows you blow the ball past Theriot and make him look foolish.
@ josh:
86 mph splitter that changed planes of existence.
Gameday makes it look like Vogelsong’s slider isn’t sliding.
Huh, that was strike three.
F7 isn’t going to last long in this game.
Whew.
@ Rice Cube:
Agreed. 3 IP, 69 pitches (42 strikes), 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K and some of these outs have been tagged.
Pagan really had a good year in 2010.
It’s pretty amazing what Soriano has done on one leg in the last 3-4 weeks.
Skimming through Keith Law’s chat. so far 80% of the questions have been “will team X take Giolito” (dying laughing)
new shit: http://www.obstructedview.net/minor-leagues/2012-mlb-draft-day-one.html
Ugh