Brewers Sign Jorge Julio- 1 year/$950,000: New Closer?

[DHonks]

Mota Version 2.0 was my first reaction as well.

 

How do you manage to blow 7 saves in a season successfully save a single one. Clearly that's a pitcher who handles the pressure well and projects to having success in the postseason. He better not be our closer, or we're one step closer to the edge of falling out of the playoff race.

Bernman, I wish all questions were this easy to answer. When a reliever enters a game with a lead, then blows the lead, that's a blown save. Most relievers have more blown saves than blown saves

[homer]

Jorge Julio Machado

[rluzinski]

Marcels says 4.5 ERA for Jorge next year. For $1 mil? He'll a fine 6th choice out of the pen.

[gbpdc]

The Great CornJulio is the winner for me.

 

Good work Bernman.

[dlk9s]

According to baseball-reference.com, the ninth most comparable pitcher to Jorge "Orange" Julio is Derrick Turnbow.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/juliojo01.shtml

[hauser42]

Julio is a human gas can and I dont think this will work out. I would rather see human gas can Alfonso Alfonseco get signed by us. Man with 6 fingers and who had mumps is a better story.

[BrewCrewForever]

"Meh" is just about right. That is my reaction to this signing. I still hope McClung becomes closer.

[BrewCrewForever]

Hi most similar pitcher on baseball-reference.com is Joe Borowski. That is not good.

[MNBrew]

30 years ago our pitching coach was known as "Kerosene Bill" Castro. If Julio or any other guy just bombs, it's easy: Castro will simply say, "I told him, 'Do as I say, not as I did,' but he got it backwards."

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Whenever a guy can throw in the mid 90's, he's worth giving a shot. The upside is there.

[CheezWizHed]

TH reported that it was a non-guaranteed contract, so it seems like a no-brainer. If we sign better RPs by spring, we won't have to worry about a new nickname. If not, well he still seems better than Turnbow c2008 or Dessens c2007.

[Invader3K]

Whenever a guy can throw in the mid 90's, he's worth giving a shot. The upside is there.

Exactly. This will probably be similar to what Melvin did last year...load up on a bunch of relatively affordable "power arms" to fill the pen, and then maybe one marquee closer type (Hoffman? Wood?). We made the playoffs last year, may as well go with the same plan again.

[PlayerHader]

Bernman, I wish all questions were this easy to answer. When a reliever enters a game with a lead, then blows the lead, that's a blown save. Most relievers have more blown saves than blown saves

There is probably some mathematical theory to figure that one out. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/tongue.gif

 

I'm in the group of...under a million...throws mid/upper-90's...has had success before. Great move.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Julio sure won't start the year out as our closer, but if there's an injury or bad performance by the Opening Day closer and Julio pitches well, I could see him entering into that role like Torres did last year.

[Diskono]

The only question I have is what will his official mocking nickname be when he goes through his first cold streak.

 

Jorge Foolio

Only if he can be Jorge Coolio when he's pitching well.

[Invader3K]

Julio sure won't start the year out as our closer, but if there's an injury or bad performance by the Opening Day closer and Julio pitches well, I could see him entering into that role like Torres did last year.

I agree. I just think it's funny reading the comments on Haudricourt's blog like "this guy is going to be our closer???" Just because he's the first reliever we signed this off-season, that makes him automatically the closer?

[And That]

Even in Julio's "good" years his WHIP has been pretty pedestrian... his career best is 1.21 and he has a career 1.42.

 

Have gas, get a paycheck. At least the paycheck will be significantly less than Mota's or Gagne's.

[bklynbrewcrew]

The more I think about it the less I like this signing. If ever there was an offseason to get a top flight closer this would be it. There are tons of Julios out there, such as our own Mota that can be had later for minor league deals. I really hope that this isnt a sign of what kind of offseason this will be; one where we only acquire third rate players. Julio walks way too many guys to be reliable and I dont see him being any better than Coffey or Dillard much less as a closer candidate.

 

Melvin needs to get going and acquire some real players or this team will be back fighting the Reds and Pirates instead of the Cubs. I am getting more and more concerned each day with the direction this organization is headed.

[yoshii8]

Whats not to like about this signing, he's fairly young, signed cheaply, and has had major league success? Its a long season and you go through a lot of pitchers, you could do a lot worse than Jorge Julio as a middle reliever.

 

Its not like this will stop us from being able to sign one of the closers available, it was a 1 year 950k deal.

[Invader3K]

The more I think about it the less I like this signing. If ever there was an offseason to get a top flight closer this would be it. There are tons of Julios out there, such as our own Mota that can be had later for minor league deals. I really hope that this isnt a sign of what kind of offseason this will be; one where we only acquire third rate players. Julio walks way too many guys to be reliable and I dont see him being any better than Coffey or Dillard much less as a closer candidate.

 

Melvin needs to get going and acquire some real players or this team will be back fighting the Reds and Pirates instead of the Cubs. I am getting more and more concerned each day with the direction this organization is headed.

I really disagree wtih everything you wrote, bklyn. No "top flight closers" have been signed yet, by any team, and paying a middle reliever less than a million bucks for a one year deal certainly doesn't preclude the Brewers from doing so going forward. I don't see how you can take a pretty mundane move as a sign of things to come. I also didn't get your reference to Mota...he would be more expensive, and guys like him won't be signing a minor league deal unless coming of an injury.

[Fear The Chorizo]

It's starting to become obvious that the current state of the economy is going to play a big role in how teams approach offseason acquisitions. Other than a few teams resigning their own, or giving small deals to marginal players, next to nothing's happened this offseason. Even though it's a pretty decent free agent group of players, aside from the best of the best I think there won't be many free agents who get deals on par with what recent offseasons have had.

 

Since next to no teams are doing anything significant at this point, I have no problem with the Brewers joining the rest of them and sitting on their hands for awhile longer. Julio's not that bad of a signing for what they got him for.

[Ennder]

This offseason has been as active as most if not more so. It is still just really early, most of the action doesn't start until the winter meetings.

[Invader3K]

This offseason has been as active as most if not more so. It is still just really early, most of the action doesn't start until the winter meetings.

That is probably true. I think a lot of us are just a bit over anxious, due to the Brewers having such a huge offer laying on the table for the top prize of the off-season. Pretty much an unheard of circumstance. Once that is resolved, a lot more things are going to start popping across the league.

[Weirdos19]

There is no way that Julio is our closer. Pretty sure a guy that would be a closer somewhere would get a guaranteed contract. Alot of former closers think they can still close, hence the performance bonuses.

 

Remember, we not only lost our closer, we lost our set up men too (Gagne, Mota). So the first reliever that gets signed isn't necessarily the closer.

 

BTW, Steve Phillips predicted Kerry Wood to be our closer on BBTN last night. Not sure if I believe him, but he said Wood would get around 2yr/18 mil from the Brewers.

[PeaveyFury]

The more I think about it the less I like this signing.

 

A guy who throws hard, was pretty decent in the past on a one year deal for less than a million and we can cut him in March and not owe him a penny..... I don't see the downside.