JAYS ADD OHKA

Signing Japanese righty Tomo Ohka to a one-year deal isn't bad as far as low-risk moves go for the Blue Jays.

Like A.J. Burnett in '06, Ohka is coming to the Jays with a career losing record (48-58). Here's what to like: Last season was the only time in the past five years where his earned-run average wasn't better in league average.

He hardly ever walks anyone (top five in the National League in fewest bases on balls per nine innings in both 2002 and '03, when he was with the Expos) and he's not particularly vulnerable to giving up the home run ball.

Plus, he would be the first Japanese starter on the Jays (Micheal Nakamura, a reliever, was there for the best forgotten 2004 season). That should boost attendance in Toronto's Asian community; we were at a game against the Evil Empire last summer when Taiwan-born Chien-Ming Wang was throwing for the Yankees, and there was a noticeable increased in the number of young Asian-Canadian families at the ballpark.

The Jays rotation would now become Halladay-Burnett-Gustavo Chacin-John Thomson-Okha. Not a tremendous durable group, but it means Dustin McGowan or Shaun Marcum could be converted to middle relief and step in and start if needed. Also, it makes you wonder if the Jays will shop around McGowan, Marcum or Casey Janssen later this season to get another hitter.

According to Baseball-Reference.com, the most similar pitched to Ohka through age 30 is Mike Scott, the Houston Astros righty from the '80s who famously learned to throw the then-new split-finger fastball. Ohka's unlikely to have that kind of meteoric rise, but he can pitch. And yes, he was once referenced on The Simpsons.

Batter's Box has a good thread going, as always.

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