Pineiro to the Red Sox for 1y, $4m

DMZ · January 3, 2007 at 1:50 pm · Filed Under General baseball 

Really?

Free-agent pitcher Joel Pineiro is closing in on a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox, two baseball sources told ESPN.com. The deal is believed to be worth a guaranteed $4 million plus incentives, and is conditional on Pineiro passing a physical exam.

Wwwwwwwwwwwwwwow. And they’re a pretty smart organization. I have no idea what they’re thinking.

Comments

85 Responses to “Pineiro to the Red Sox for 1y, $4m”

  1. Thingray on January 3rd, 2007 4:56 pm

    How many guys have tanked as a starter after early success, and then moved to the closer role and thrived? I can’t think of any off the top of my head.

  2. DMZ on January 3rd, 2007 5:00 pm

    Gagne? Eckersley?

  3. redsoxtimes on January 3rd, 2007 5:07 pm

    Nathan, Foulke, Isringhausen

  4. msb on January 3rd, 2007 5:12 pm

    I guess Hoffman didn’t really have any success as a starter….

  5. cougs129 on January 3rd, 2007 5:13 pm

    I look at Burroughs and Pineiro the same basically… They definately overpaid Pineiro he should of been paid the same as Burroughs

  6. jaysbaseballfan on January 3rd, 2007 5:16 pm

    I have to say the shrewd moves the Red Sox have made have made me depressed as a Jays fan this offseason. However, I think the are flubbing it with their pen. They also got Mike TImlin and JC Romero, and now Piniero. The only good guy they brought in was Donnelly, who I like. The player option on this, when it comes out, could officially make this a bad deal. I can only hope…

  7. Joe on January 3rd, 2007 5:17 pm

    My memories of Joel (and I haven’t looked back to see if this is actually true statistically) is that often his first couple of innings were disasters, and then he settled down and threw 3 or 4 more innings of pretty-to-very good ball — but by then the team was operating out of a hole because of the runs scored in those first two innings. At least, that was why my “Hey, what if they made Joel a reliever” thoughts never went very far (even after they had actually done that).

  8. redsoxtimes on January 3rd, 2007 5:19 pm

    The player option vests if Pineiro finishes 35+ games. If he does that, he’ll have earned the option.

  9. DMZ on January 3rd, 2007 5:22 pm

    Dave Righetti. Oooh oooh! Roy Face almost counts.

    Rick Aguilera.

    Early success as a starter, struggled, did well as a closer.

    Lindy McDaniel. Stu Miller, if you’re allowed to struggle for a while. Tom Gordon, though… not so much with the brief initial success then struggle.

    Jeff Russell! 83, success, 84-85 increasing suckiness as a starter, then off to success in the bullpen (with, uh, that 1988 return to starting) and a long career as a late-inning reliever.

  10. gwangung on January 3rd, 2007 5:26 pm

    Hrm. Not sure at all what to think about this….

    But if the Sox CAN get some use out of Pineiro, I think we can say that the Ms have little aptitude for talent recognition and just as little aptitude for maximizing the talent they do have….

  11. LB on January 3rd, 2007 5:28 pm

    But if the Sox CAN get some use out of Pineiro, I think we can say that the Ms have little aptitude for talent recognition and just as little aptitude for maximizing the talent they do have….

    Or, the blind squirrel finally found a nut.

  12. JI on January 3rd, 2007 5:34 pm

    How many guys have tanked as a starter after early success, and then moved to the closer role and thrived? I can’t think of any off the top of my head.

    Derek Lowe did it in reverse.

  13. msb on January 3rd, 2007 6:31 pm

    well, I don’t think you can say the Ms gave up on Joel too fast….

  14. David J. Corcoran I on January 3rd, 2007 6:44 pm

    62: Miguel Batista did it, and then switched back. Eric Gagne as well.

  15. LB on January 3rd, 2007 7:12 pm

    I think Tom Gordon counts.

  16. DMZ on January 3rd, 2007 7:19 pm

    I love, re-reading this thread, that you can see where I get distracted and then totally start researching some bizarre question about where closers come from and end up spending a lot of time looking at people who racked up saves in the 1950s.

    This is why I don’t get articles done.

  17. JI on January 3rd, 2007 7:52 pm

    Uh, Corco, I don’t think the Rangers are planning on 200 IP from Gagne. Plus, I don’t think Batista has actually “thrived” as a starter or closer.

  18. David* on January 3rd, 2007 8:03 pm

    I wish I was a horrible pitcher. I could use $4 million.

  19. Caspir on January 3rd, 2007 8:06 pm

    # Manzanillos Cup said:
    January 3rd, 2007 at 1:57 pm

    This just made my day. I hate the Red Sox Nation with a burning passion, and their suffering brings me great pleasure.

    Yea, it was real tough suffering through that World Series championship. Hard times to be sure, clown.

  20. NBarnes on January 3rd, 2007 8:42 pm

    Mm. It’s really not an awful move, but I have to agree with Bender in #15; I don’t think that Pineiro does anything for Boston that a 29 year old career AAA starter couldn’t do for an order of magnitude less money. And a random AAA starter has more breakout potential.

    I have to figure that Boston thinks there’s something specific to ‘fix’ about Pineiro and are willing to take a chance on being right about that. I have my doubts.

  21. LB on January 3rd, 2007 9:06 pm

    #69: What you said.

    Also I’m sure the suffering was just awful in Boston when, down 0 games to 3, they won 4 in a row against NY, with NY taking a lead into the 8th inning of the first 2 games with The Greatest Closer In The History Of The Game on the hill, and then winning the final 2 in The House That Ruth Built.

    We’re talking about wailing and gnashing of teeth.

    But enough about that.

    Here is Curt Schilling’s analysis of the Joel deal: I’m still pissed we didn’t sign Rollie Fingers….Oh wait, he’s not available. Market was sickeningly think [sic] for the top shelf stopper this winter, I think we’ll find someone to save 42 out of 52 chances this year. We do that and I like our chances.

    “Someone to say 42 out of 52.” Yep, “someone.” You heard it here first.

  22. A Bag Of Beans! Wooo! on January 3rd, 2007 9:11 pm

    Meche says “Ha-ha!”

  23. colm on January 3rd, 2007 10:12 pm

    Waay to late but how about Branston Arroyo, a pitcher who’s frequently in a pickle?

    http://www.britishdelights.com/branston.htm

  24. David J. Corcoran I on January 3rd, 2007 10:16 pm

    If he can regain velocity in the bullpen, he could be useful. This is a BIG if however.

  25. David J. Corcoran I on January 3rd, 2007 10:18 pm

    67: I didn’t mean to imply they were planning on starting Gagne, rather he is an example of a mediocre starter turned sweet closer.. It does read like that, however.

  26. Gomez on January 3rd, 2007 10:52 pm

    My question is how the BAWSTON fans will butcher the pronunciation of his name. My guess is PENAYHRUH.

    I guess they see some value in his short relief, 89 mph fastball and 0 pitch arsenal.

  27. Evan on January 3rd, 2007 11:08 pm

    Someone on line posted numbers showing that Piniero had much much better numbers through the first 30 pitches he threw.

    But those 30 pitches only got him through 1 inning.

  28. LB on January 3rd, 2007 11:19 pm

    #76: Most New Englanders think you talk funny too.

  29. stoyboy on January 4th, 2007 8:11 am

    #44 Very funny indeed.

  30. Manzanillos Cup on January 4th, 2007 8:33 am

    I didn’t mean to evoke the wrath of lurking Boston fans. Sorry about that.

    Good job with 2004.
    Your accents are beautiful.
    Hope you enjoy Pineiro.

  31. msb on January 4th, 2007 9:03 am

    hmm. apparently BP thinks he might have had closer stuff:

    In 2001, Price thought that Pineiro’s value might be as a closer.

    “Back then, he would have been a prototypical closer,” said Price. “His confidence was at a very high level. He could go out there and be throwing anywhere from 92-97 [miles per hour], with a good slider, curve, and changeup. He had great arm strength and he was deadly on righthanded hitters.

    “At the time, we had a closer [Kazuhiro Sasaki] and we were in need of starting pitching and Joel wanted to be a starter, so that’s the direction we went with him. In ’02 and ’03, he was a guy you looked at and projected to be your ace for the next 7-9 years. He won 16 games in ’03. But he really lost that swagger. He’s got to get back to attacking the zone. He’s capable of doing it.”

  32. Evan on January 4th, 2007 10:15 am

    Sure, he won 16 games, but he lost 11 (making him look flaky), plus that was his career high in innings pitched (and it only happened because that was the season with only 5 starters).

  33. Ralph Malph on January 4th, 2007 11:13 am

    I look at Burroughs and Pineiro the same basically

    Except that Pineiro has a bit more power and Burroughs has a better fastball.

    Love Schilling’s analysis of the deal. If Pineiro gets 42 saves I’ll eat my hat.

  34. Jonah Keri on January 4th, 2007 1:56 pm

    Funny, I was just wondering how my New England neighbors would pronounce Pinata.

  35. LB on January 5th, 2007 11:36 pm

    #84: Easy: peen-YAH-ter.

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