Jose Veras signs with Astros

[PrinceEatMeat]

For 1 year, $2 million. The funniest part is that they plan on using him as their closer. This will be a spectacular failure. Too bad the Astros are no longer in this division.

 

http://mlbbuzz.yardbarker.com/blog/mlbbuzz/article/details_of_veras_contract_with_astros/12490195?new_post=true

[fleehaw]

One can argue that Veras was better then Axford last year. I don't find that very funny.

[jerichoholicninja]

Veras wasn't great last year but he wasn't the total disaster some made him out to be either and he almost was better than Axford too.

 

Axford 2012

4.67 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 12.1 K/9, 5.1 BB/9, 1.3 HR/9

 

Veras 2012

3.63 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 10.6 K/9, 5.4 BB/9, .7 HR/9

 

In almost the same amount of innings John gave up twice as many homeruns. Now I'm not saying I'd take Veras over Axford or that I even want Veras on the team but for all the flack he caught he wasn't that bad.

[brwrsfan]

If the worst team in baseball can get him for 2 million, we probably could have re-signed him for 1 or 1.5....I would have taken him for that much. He has some good pitches, just inconsistent but he's valuable at that price IMO.

[RockCoCougars]

Veras was horrible to watch... couldn't throw strikes. He was decent during the hot stretch, but he already had worn out his welcome to me at that point. Good riddance.

[monty57]

Veras is the prototypical "good arm, good stuff, no control" pitcher. When he's on, he's tough to hit, but when he's off it's ugly to watch. As bewerfan said, not a bad deal at around $1MM. I think it's smart for a bad team to throw a guy like this at closer because there's a chance he has a good first half and some team will overpay for him in trade because of his Saves.

[brewcrewdue80]

Let's see Veras as their closer at 2mil? Is that really a bad idea? For a team probably not going to win north of 60games this year? How many times is it they will call on Veras to close? Doubt it's any higher than 30 times for full season and that could be reaching. As bad as his Whip was he maintained a 3.63 era. Should he fall back to his avg whip the prior 3 years, I would expect another year of 3.8era or less which I'm sure the Astros will take for a season or two.

As someone put above, there's always teams on the lookout for closers, something Veras never been given the role as. He could easily have a 12/13 saves in by deadline and at under 2mil would be a simple target for a team on the lookout for a closer could go for. A borderline ML IF/OF prospect/utility player in return could then be had likely for a team obviously in need of players.

 

Really, I was excited when Brewers got Veras and for whatever reason that awful bullpen mojo spread throughout the Brewers hit him as well.

For his awful year he did lower his HR/9 and increase his K/9. He brings his Hits/9 and BB/9 back down to normal he should be a guaranteed succesful signing for Hou.

[RockCoCougars]

I'd agree that from the Astros point of view, this may not be a bad signing. At that deal they really have nothing to lose (except for games). That said, I wish them luck if he starts the season as their closer. He may have posted the softest sub 4-ERA that I've ever seen last year.

[LouisEly]

Post All-Star in 30 IP Veras gave up 20 hits, 15 BB (1.17 WHIP), 38 K, a .189 BA-A, and a 2.40 ERA. For the season he had a .344 OBP-A but only a .349 SLG-A. He walks guys, but doesn't give up many extra base hits or even hits for that matter that lead to big innings and that has been his career MO. Over the last three years in 186 IP he has only given up 147 hits. For one year and $2M I would have taken that in a heartbeat.

 

You have to know what you are getting with him. He is going to walk guys, but you have to have the confidence that he is going to strike guys out and not give up hits.

[Polish Falcons]

If the worst team in baseball can get him for 2 million, we probably could have re-signed him for 1 or 1.5....I would have taken him for that much. He has some good pitches, just inconsistent but he's valuable at that price IMO.

 

No chance he takes $500k to $1 mil less to play for the brewers.

[Oxy]

If the worst team in baseball can get him for 2 million, we probably could have re-signed him for 1 or 1.5....I would have taken him for that much. He has some good pitches, just inconsistent but he's valuable at that price IMO.

 

No chance he takes $500k to $1 mil less to play for the brewers.

 

No kidding. The difference between $75 million and $76 million is very small. The difference between $1 million and 2$ million is absolutely enormous (or relatively enormous).

[RockCoCougars]

Personally, I wouldn't take him back at the league minimum, so I'm glad that the Brewers made no effort to retain him. From what I remember, they were trying to dump Veras, KRod, Loe, etc. and there were no takers. That and the fact that he's been on like 6 teams in 6 years would lead me to believe that his value on the open market is not very high.

[dlk9s]

Why are we comparing him to Axford to show that he "wasn't all that bad?" Axford was awful in 2012.

[brwrsfan]

If the worst team in baseball can get him for 2 million, we probably could have re-signed him for 1 or 1.5....I would have taken him for that much. He has some good pitches, just inconsistent but he's valuable at that price IMO.

 

No chance he takes $500k to $1 mil less to play for the brewers.

 

No kidding. The difference between $75 million and $76 million is very small. The difference between $1 million and 2$ million is absolutely enormous (or relatively enormous).

 

You're assuming he even gets that offer from the Astros. If we had offered him 1.5 million and he goes into FA and sees no interest anywhere...he might take it. If he has an offer from us for 1.5, he could come back and ask for a little more. Yeah, it's about money most of the time, but it's also about not necessarily wanting to play on the absolute worst team in all of baseball.

[Outlander]

It's all about money and opportunity. If he shows he can close for one year on the Astros he will get a nice contract next year.

[logan82]

You have to know what you are getting with him. He is going to walk guys, but you have to have the confidence that he is going to strike guys out and not give up hits.

Right and as a closer he is pretty likely to come in with the bases empty. So a walk here and there isn't going to be as bad as him coming in mid inning.

[rwa12]

Why are we comparing him to Axford to show that he "wasn't all that bad?" Axford was awful in 2012.

 

I think the point is more, "If this going to be a phenomenal failure for the Astros, how much trouble are we in when Axford is basically the same guy?"

[PrinceFielderx1]

Veras was terrible. He didn't throw enough strikes, which led to way to many runners reaching base and scoring position, and when he did throw strikes he was quite hittable. Hitters weren't fooled. He was lacking that really good out pitch like a huge 12/6 curveball or 97 mph fastball that Axford has. His slider wasn't good enough.

 

I'm so glad he's gone. He shouldn't be a closer, and he wont last very long in that role.

[monty57]

He didn't throw enough strikes, which led to way to many runners reaching base and scoring position

 

Over the years, I've seen a lot of posters espousing the strategy of signing as many fireballers with no control as we could, and "seeing what sticks." The above referenced quote shows exactly why I've never liked that strategy. Ideally, your bullpen is filled with an assortment of guys, but if I had to choose one, I'd much rather have a bullpen filled with guys who have a lot of control, but don't strike out a lot, rather than a bullpen filled with guys who strike out a ton of guys, but have no control.

 

We seem to be switching from the latter to the former this offseason. Hopefully guys like Gorzelanny and Badenhop can bring some consistancy to the 'pen.

[Ennder]

Guys like Badenhop aren't an improvement over Veras and they aren't even more consistent. They are just different about how they are very average, they give up strings of hits and HR instead of strings of walks. The reason people like these kinds of guys is because if they do magically find their control you get a Rodney type season out of them.