Nice contract for Texas, low risk, high potential reward.

The only pitcher ever to win ten games with an ERA over seven. He's worth $5M just for the curiosity value.

COLBY LEWIS IS IN THE BEST SHAPE OF HIS LIFE!!!

Guess Maddux is trying to be a Dave Duncan turn around artist.

The Rangers think that Lewis turned it around in Japan, and there's reason to believe that he did. He led his league in strikeouts twice running and put up a 369:46 K:BB ratio (in 354 1/3 innings) with a 2.82 ERA. That's really good in any league. He always had the raw talent to be a successful major leaguer. It might not work out, but this is exactly the sort of low-risk gamble that's worthwhile for almost any team in baseball.

I'd like to see the Transaction Oracle on his signing. What say you Zips? Is that K/BB ratio going to translate?

That really is an absurd K:BB ratio. But until he proves himself I say AAAA. Though it's not like late bloomers are a myth. I'm rooting for him, if only because I frequently had him as a 6th man/LR in MVP Baseball 2004.

Is that K/BB ratio going to translate?

I'm thinking the answer should be "not really well."

I'm thinking the answer should be "not really well."

I don't think anyone, including the Rangers, expects him to put up a 9/1 K/BB ratio. Fortunately, he doesn't need to be anywhere close to that good to justify that contract.

That line about being in the organization from 1999-2004 reminded me of the ultimately silly, but nonetheless interesting "player who played in 4 decades." Any players about to do that? Griffey is the one that jumps to mind.

I don't think anyone, including the Rangers, expects him to put up a 9/1 K/BB ratio. Fortunately, he doesn't need to be anywhere close to that good to justify that contract.

Sure. It's just interesting that this is a guy with a 1.25 career MLB ratio (minor league ratio was much better), and now he's coming back to the US with this super-duper-Madduxian stint of success in Japan. I'm guessing any projection system is going to have a hard time sorting out what to expect going forward.

Any players about to do that? Griffey is the one that jumps to mind.

Vizquel (debuted in same game as Jr.). Jamie Moyer. Possibly Sheff.

http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/rkQgQ

Thanks, Mr. Forman. I didn't realize that Gordon was still active.

It seems to me that one of the knottier issues involved in evaluating Japanese pitcher is the size of the ball. Is it not true that the ball is smaller in the Nippon League than in MLB? If it is, it strikes me that it fundamentally changes a pitcher's relationship with a piece of his equipment, in such a way that what a pitcher is capable of, at least in the arenas of control and and movement, may not always translte to the States. A pitcher with short fingers may be able to do things with a Japanese ball that he could never do with an American one.

Is that crazy?

yes - and that's not crazy at all, imo.

That line about being in the organization from 1999-2004 reminded me of the ultimately silly, but nonetheless interesting "player who played in 4 decades." Any players about to do that? Griffey is the one that jumps to mind.

I'm only 30, yet I've now lived during 5 decades...silly indeed!

And I am 50 yet have lived in seven. Yikes.

Not only do the Japanese play with slightly smaller balls, their strike zone is bigger, sort of like the old days here. In Japan, a pitch across the letters is a strike. But of course, Japanese players are also shorter...

Not only do the Japanese play with slightly smaller balls

Penis size by nationality is a myth.