White Sox sign Zach Duke, 3 years, $15 million

[Baron]

Isnt Duke the guy at the end of the movie Major League?

[bmags]

Yeah it was. Without looking it up, assuming he meant what it would read if the "(80 percent)" was omitted: Duke allowed 20 percent to score, Sox allowed 32 percent to score. The Sox bullpen holding only 32% of inherited runners seems like it would be an apocalyptic number.

 

Doubt this is a three-year contract as some have guessed. I'm guessing 2/$9. Fine with the signing and even if his K-rate isn't real he has the ground ball chops that we've trended towards. Better this than Miller.

 

It felt apocalyptic much of the year.

[witesoxfan]

A brief on Duke:

 

 

 

This was October of 2012 with the Nationals. Notice the 3/4 arm angle and how long the batter can see the ball. He gets the guy out, but with so much time to see the ball, you are going to make much better contact with the ball. Pitchers can still be successful, but they won't get strikeouts with the stuff Duke has.

 

 

This was in September for the Reds of 2013. Notice that he's dropped down and does a much better job of keeping the ball behind him. His breaking ball also has a much better sweeping motion to it. This seems to be a change he made while rehabbing or pitching in the minors of 2013. His splits after coming back up in 2013: .205/.244/.308, though the K% wasn't there yet.

 

 

This was in May of 2014. He's still coming from the side, but he's even sped up getting the ball to the plate. It comes in at 91 but with the inability to see it, it looks a lot faster than that.

 

---

 

I could see this backfiring, but I'm really OK with this move.

[thxfrthmmrs]

yeah i saw that too. messed up wording by Dan Hayes. I think he meant that Duke allowed 20% to score, which the Sox allowed 68%.

 

I think he meant 32% for Sox. If you allow 68% (2/3) of the inherited runners to score, you're the worst bullpen in history.

[Rowand44]

A bird.

Ahh well I'll take the bird's word for it.

[southsider2k5]

Let's make some guesses...

 

3 yrs/ 11.5.

 

Too low?

 

I am going to guess 3/17, including a $1 million buyout option for a 4th year at $7 million.

[southsider2k5]

A brief on Duke:

 

 

 

This was October of 2012 with the Nationals. Notice the 3/4 arm angle and how long the batter can see the ball. He gets the guy out, but with so much time to see the ball, you are going to make much better contact with the ball. Pitchers can still be successful, but they won't get strikeouts with the stuff Duke has.

 

 

This was in September for the Reds of 2013. Notice that he's dropped down and does a much better job of keeping the ball behind him. His breaking ball also has a much better sweeping motion to it. This seems to be a change he made while rehabbing or pitching in the minors of 2013. His splits after coming back up in 2013: .205/.244/.308, though the K% wasn't there yet.

 

 

This was in May of 2014. He's still coming from the side, but he's even sped up getting the ball to the plate. It comes in at 91 but with the inability to see it, it looks a lot faster than that.

 

---

 

I could see this backfiring, but I'm really OK with this move.

 

Nice work Wite.

[Dick Allen]

Supposedly it is multi year and from what I was reading the other team involved was the Mets and they weren't willing to go 2 years. So I would imagine it is fairly cheap.

[Jerksticks]

Would it be reasonable to say a relief pitcher will pitch 60-70 innings of a possible 1,450 total team-pitched innings? That makes 10M a year seem crazy for MR. 4% of total innings for 10% of payroll?

Edited November 18, 2014 by Jerksticks

[shysocks]

A brief on Duke:

 

 

 

This was October of 2012 with the Nationals. Notice the 3/4 arm angle and how long the batter can see the ball. He gets the guy out, but with so much time to see the ball, you are going to make much better contact with the ball. Pitchers can still be successful, but they won't get strikeouts with the stuff Duke has.

 

 

This was in September for the Reds of 2013. Notice that he's dropped down and does a much better job of keeping the ball behind him. His breaking ball also has a much better sweeping motion to it. This seems to be a change he made while rehabbing or pitching in the minors of 2013. His splits after coming back up in 2013: .205/.244/.308, though the K% wasn't there yet.

 

 

This was in May of 2014. He's still coming from the side, but he's even sped up getting the ball to the plate. It comes in at 91 but with the inability to see it, it looks a lot faster than that.

 

---

 

I could see this backfiring, but I'm really OK with this move.

I gather from the titles of those videos that he gets out of a lot of jams...

[Whisox05]

Really hope they add another left hander to the pen. If it's miller then I would ok with this deal otherwise I'm worried. Sox haven't had good luck signing good left handed reliever. Hopefully he doesn't turn into will ohman or scott downs. Hopefully he doesn't continue his jekyll and hyde seasons. I guess time will tell

Edited November 18, 2014 by WhiteSoxLifer

[dasox24]

I'm confused by the way he wrote this.

 

So did Zach Duke "allow" 20% of inherited runners to score, and the white sox 32%? Or did Duke "hold" 80% of runners and White Sox only 32%?

 

Confusing switching of terminology there.

I read it as the former. He only allowed 20% of inherited while the Sox allowed 32%.

[hogan873]

Ahh well I'll take the bird's word for it.

Apparently you have heard that the bird is the word.

[witesoxfan]

Really hope they add another left hander to the pen. If it's miller then I would ok with this deal otherwise it's I'm worried. Sox haven't had good luck signing good left handed reliever. Hopefully he doesn't turn into will ohman or scott downs. Hopefully he doesn't continue his jekyll and hyde seasons. I guess time will tell

 

I'd give them a one in a million shot of signing Andrew Miller at this point.

[shysocks]

Would it be reasonable to say a relief pitcher will pitch 60-70 innings of a possible 1,450 total team-pitched innings? That makes 10M a year seem crazy for MR. 4% of total innings for 10% of payroll?

I agree with you, but the counterarguments would be:

1) A reliever pitches higher leverage situations, when every out or baserunner potentially has a much higher impact on the game's outcome.

2) A reliever's innings are generally more effective than a starter's, for any number of reasons.

[Rowand44]

Apparently you have heard that the bird is the word.

Well played.

[LittleHurt05]

I am going to guess 3/17, including a $1 million buyout option for a 4th year at $7 million.

 

That would be very risky, can't approve of anything over two years. He was cut halfway through 2013 with an 8.01 ERA.

[Rowand44]

I'd give them a one in a million shot of signing Andrew Miller at this point.

Will you eat a hat if they sign him?

[southsider2k5]

I'd give them a one in a million shot of signing Andrew Miller at this point.

 

So its a 99.9999% no?

[witesoxfan]

Will you eat a hat if they sign him?

 

Yes.

 

So its a 99.9999% no?

 

[Whisox05]

I'd give them a one in a million shot of signing Andrew Miller at this point.

 

So you're saying there's a chance

[royoung]

I like it. He throws with his left-hand correct? Perfect

[Y2Jimmy0]

Anyone think they may have something else to announce later as well? What's the point of waiting to announce it?

[southsider2k5]

Anyone think they may have something else to announce later as well? What's the point of waiting to announce it?

 

Jerry has to find some pants and change out of his leopard print bathrobe.

[professa]

Sox definitely checked in on what has lead to Duke's success...No way they hand out a multiyear contract without evidence of a change mechanically in his delivery, in his repertoire, or his mentality. I think his is a great signing. Since moving to the pen in 2012, his FIP from that point on is 2.81, even if you include the seasons when his era is 6+ and 8+.