Kuo Replacements?
by Phil Gurnee on May 2, 2009 7:49 AM PDT
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PrintKuo going on the DL is terrible news but not unexpected given his struggles and past health history. Without Kuo the bullpen dynamic changes as I'm looking at this with the possibility that we won't see Kuo again this year. This could be a big blow to the team as we had hoped that Kuo would solidify the shaky setup when he got back into the groove he displayed last year.
The left handed possibilities are Elbert, Leach, Garate, or possibly Estes. None will bring what Kuo brought us last year. Leach and Garate are doing good work but in AA while Estes is Estes and would cost someone a spot off the 40 man unless Kuo gets moved to the 60 Day if he is going to need season ending surgery. Do we eschew the left hander and bring up Lindblom ?
40 Man Roster Possibilities:
Elbert - has the stuff but not the command. Joe was reluctant to use him while he was here in leveraged situations. He was starting in AA when we brought him up. Maybe we should leave him in AA and concentrate on setup so he can be of use in a few weeks.
Leach - hottest LHP in organization, hasn't allowed a run in his last eight outing. Struggles with command but has been showing excellent dominance. This 26 year old would be my first choice.
Garate - Has been almost as effective as Leach with a little better control.
Non 40 Man Roster Possibilities:
Estes - Almost retired in spring training then said he wanted to give it a try as a LH relief pitcher but he's only been starting for the Isotopes with good results.
Josh Lindblom - he's scheduled to start today, if he makes the start then forget about it. He probably has the best chance for success of all the players mentioned but we'd be starting his clock early.
If you are Kuo it is easy to complain that he didn't tell anyone he was hurt but look at it from his point of view. He's already had the surgeries, he is not making any real money, one more surgery probably ends his career and what you have is a young pitcher with no future and probably very little financial cushion unless he invested his original bonus wisely. So he stubbornly hoped he could pitch through the pain and lost.
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Voted for Leach
He’s a great stopgap until they figure out what to do with Lindblom (who could very easily start in L.A. this year).
Fine line
I get trying to pitch through pain, but it seems to me hiding a serious injury is like running from the police; you’re already screwed but going further always makes it worse, and you never get away!!! :)
Speak for yourself, small wiry guys can hide in places you never dreamed of. Right Dave?
Patience is for those who die waiting for something to happen
Ha, ha!
I wish I was still wiry instead of soft.
When you’ve been folded into a garbage can or locker often enough, hiding places are a breeze. ;)
Voted for Josh... : )
This might be a 1 year run for the gold with Manny on board – - so bring out all the guns. And when i say guns, I of course mean the Phenom Lindblom. It’s all or nothing in ’09, imho.
Really?
You don’t think we will be World Series contenders after this year?
by Brendan Scolari on May 2, 2009 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Leach
I think Elbert will be the one recalled but I would watch Leach or Garate up. I want Elbert starting in AA so he could be useful as a starter later on this year rather than a Kuo like lefty. If starting doesn’t work he can always move back to the pen.
kuo's $
Kuo has made about $3M in his career. Say $2M after taxes. If he spent half that, he still has $1M in the bank, which is financially secure for life in anyone’s book.
Not mine
$1 million ain’t what it used to be.
I expect my wife and I to rack up millions of dollars in health expenses alone before I kick the bucket. (The oral-podiatric surgeries alone….)
A few years back several of us bored folks at work calculated that at age 30, a $5M lottery win might – might – allow you and your spouse to quit your jobs, never work again and live a modest lifestyle, e.g. a simple 3-bedroom, 2-bath home (not in LA).
Or look at it this way: if you could get a safe, guaranteed return of 5% on your $1M in the bank, that’s $50,000 per year before taxes. You can live on that, but only very, very modestly.
And there's no way
A pro athlete is going to be living on 50K a year, at least while he’s in the majors.
by Brendan Scolari on May 2, 2009 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions
Torre has to have two lefties in the pen, so this was inevitable
But how long are the Dodgers going to go with the 13-man pitching staff? Just until the next off-day gets really close?
What are the odds we never see Kuo again?
What do we call treating everyone equally when they are clearly not equal? Communism!
i don't even want to think about that
but I’m afraid there’s a real possibility he may be done…
by bucknellbruin on May 2, 2009 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions
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