Duke to White Sox (multi-year deal)

[patrickgpe]

sad to see him go, but he did not have a good 2nd half. Good luck to him.

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/18/white-sox-sign-zach-duke/

 

brewers down to only Smith as a LHP though.

[reillymcshane]

He had a great year. Someone was going to overpay him. Good for him.

[bjkrautk]

If he was going to leave (and for a multi-year deal, who can blame him), I'm glad to see he ended up in the AL.

 

 

...any draft compensation for the signing?

[torts]

no, they would have had to offer Duke $15 million dollars which he would have taken in a heart beat

[Outlander]

Good for him, far exceeded any expectations I had for him. Will be interesting to see how he does in 2015.

[torts]

and good luck to Duke, glad to see him go to the other chicago team! best of luck in the AL!

[pacopete4]

Yeah nice to see a guy that had a rocky start to his career figure out his niche. Hopefully we'll meet in the series!

[reillymcshane]

3-years, $15 million.

 

$4.5MM in 2015, $5MM in 2016 and $5.5MM in 2017

 

Nice job by Zach's agent. I was thinking $3-4 million for three years.

 

https://www.facebook.com/notes/chicago-white-sox/white-sox-agree-to-terms-with-left-handed-pitcher-zach-duke-on-three-year-15-mil/10153344718538047?adbid=534776962091581441&adbpl=tw&adbpr=53197137&partnerId=as_mlb_20141118_35813307

[torts]

from $800k non-roster invitee to a $15 million dollar pay day over 3 years. not bad... not bad at all

[reillymcshane]

Zach tweeted out his thanks:

 

Also, thanks for the support from all you #BrewerFans yall are some classy folks! I truly enjoyed my short time in Milwaukee!

 

[JohnBriggs12]

Melvin's bullpen strategy has always been to wait out the reliever market. There's usually a lot of guys scrambling for jobs come January. $15 million commitment to Duke is pretty extravagant. Michael Strong has barely pitched above A ball, but he's going to get a long look in Arizona off his fall league success.

 

I've heard the White Sox have interest in K-Rod also. Their pen was awful last year.

[patrickgpe]

I agree with Melvin's strategy. They have rarely given FA relievers 2 year + deals and when they have they have never worked out. That is way too much money for basically a LOOGY, even though i was a big fan of him not only during his time in Milwaukee but as a Pirate too.

[JohnBriggs12]

I agree with Melvin's strategy. They have rarely given FA relievers 2 year + deals and when they have they have never worked out. That is way too much money for basically a LOOGY, even though i was a big fan of him not only during his time in Milwaukee but as a Pirate too.

 

Agreed. Duke is not the kind of guy you pay full retail for. One of Melvin's best attributes is patience in the reliever market. I am confident he'll find a nugget or two on sale.

[DocLuna7]

I agree with Melvin's strategy. They have rarely given FA relievers 2 year + deals and when they have they have never worked out. That is way too much money for basically a LOOGY, even though i was a big fan of him not only during his time in Milwaukee but as a Pirate too.

 

Agreed. Duke is not the kind of guy you pay full retail for. One of Melvin's best attributes is patience in the reliever market. I am confident he'll find a nugget or two on sale.

 

And hopefully one of those nuggets is a lefty.

[pacopete4]

I agree with Melvin's strategy. They have rarely given FA relievers 2 year + deals and when they have they have never worked out. That is way too much money for basically a LOOGY, even though i was a big fan of him not only during his time in Milwaukee but as a Pirate too.

 

Agreed. Duke is not the kind of guy you pay full retail for. One of Melvin's best attributes is patience in the reliever market. I am confident he'll find a nugget or two on sale.

 

And hopefully one of those nuggets is a lefty.

 

Kameron Loe is probably available. I heard he is pretty tough on lefties.

[trwi7]

Zach tweeted out his thanks:

 

Also, thanks for the support from all you #BrewerFans yall are some classy folks! I truly enjoyed my short time in Milwaukee!

 

 

In your face, Cardinals!

[JohnBriggs12]

Michael Strong will get a long look this spring to fill a loogy role too.

 

If Henderson and Thornburg are healthy (and those are certainly big ifs), there bullpen could be quite fine as is too.

[thumperden]

I concur with John Briggs. There may be enough candidates already in house to fill bullpen roles. That may be a risky proposition and we may be waiting 2 months before we know if anyone is brought in from the outside the organization.

[Thurston Fluff]

I'm glad for Duke. He went from possibly being out of the league to set for the foreseeable future in one season. I don't get why anyone would pay that much for someone who really hasn't established himself beyond one good season though. I am not against paying for established relievers who have done it over a significant period of time. I just think that is a lot to pay for a guy who hasn't really shown he is better than the average flash in the pan reliever we see all over the league every year.

[patrickgpe]

there will be relievers available in February. Through out all of my years of watching baseball, I have learned that the most difficult position to predict performance is relief pitcher. The brewers have caught lightening in a bottle many times with the likes of Doug Jones, Derrick Turnbow, Doug Henry, Dan Kolb and so on only to have them fall apart eventually.

 

Rare is the relief pitcher that is consistent from year to year. To give a guy like Duke 3 years is crazy.

 

Melvin has been good about not giving relievers 2 year deals, as they never seem to work out, like David Riske or Hawkins who had a good 2nd year, was hurt for most of his 1st season.

[SRB]

One of Melvin's best attributes is patience in the reliever market.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7SqplVHNBmI/SdD6MynHQbI/AAAAAAAAAII/HkfjsJ5Cik8/s400/Eric+Gagne.bmp

[splitterpfj]

What can you say? I'm happy for Duke, he got a great deal.

 

Zach has done a great job rehabilitating his career, but I think this contract is ridiculous.

[MVP2110]

agreed mostly with what is said. It sucks losing Duke after the year he had but no way I pay him what he got paid. 3 year deals for non elite relievers is a bad idea. Love the way Melvin builds his pen and between Broxton, Smith, Thornburg, Henderson, Jeffress, Strong, Wooten, maybe Nelson or Fiers, and any guys we sign late in the offseason I think our pen will be just fine.

[MNBrew]

Thornburg & Henderson returning to pre-injury form would be huge. But until they've proven that they're ready, to me, the last thing you do is count on 'em -- the Brewers of the past (esp. the pre-Melvin era) were SO often guilty of that!

 

Shoot, Thornburg never really got better and they still don't even know why.

[MNBrew]

One of Melvin's best attributes is patience in the reliever market.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7SqplVHNBmI/SdD6MynHQbI/AAAAAAAAAII/HkfjsJ5Cik8/s400/Eric+Gagne.bmp

Gagne was an obvious mistake. But judging Melvin's body of work over a decade-plus in MIL, Briggs' point is spot on.