Chicago Cubs have choices to make regarding the future of the ninth inning

Seung-Hwan Oh

Seung-Hwan Oh is 35 years old but just completed his second season in the Bigs. In his first season with the Cardinals, he converted 19 of 23 saves chances, having bounced from set-up to closer. He appeared in 76 games spanning 79 2/3 innings. It all added up to a sparkling 1.92 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.

The 2017 season did not go well for Oh, who saw his ERA rise to 4.10, converting 20/27 SVO. Oh appeared in 62 games across 59 1/3 innings. Everything in 2017 was just off for Oh.

His K/9 plummeted to 8.19 from 11.64. His BB/9 rose slightly to 2.28, he served up more home runs per 9 (1.52), and he had a .319 BABIP as opposed to .270 in 2016.

One thing, he became less of a ground ball pitcher as his fly ball rate jumped to nearly 50 percent. In 2016 he had a 40 percent ground ball rate, as compared to 28.7 percent in 2017.

What to expect?

It’s hard to say. It seems doubtful teams will be lining up to see about his closing abilities. His first season in America went really well as a setup man to closer Trevor Rosenthal, who had his own struggles and injuries in 2016.

Considered among the best closers in Korean baseball, the 2017 season came unglued for Oh, and now the big test will be to see if he can make the necessary adjustments to be a part of someone’s bullpen going forward.