Tom Koehler

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2008
A-:  5-5-0, 3.68 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 66.0 IP, 4.0 BB/9, 7.9 K/9

Koehler pitched mostly as a starter in the New York-Penn League.  Considering that it’s a pitchers league, he put up just decent numbers, including a somewhat high walk rate.  It helped that he allowed no longballs.

2009
A:  5-5-0, 3-20 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 98.1 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 7.5 K/9
A+:  4-1-0, 3.38 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 34.2 IP, 2.3 BB/9, 6.5 K/9

Koehler pitched well in 18 starts in low A and another six in high A.

2010
AA:  16-2-0, 2.61 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 158.2 IP, 2.6 BB/9, 8.2 K/9

The Marlins moved Koehler up to AA and he had an outstanding season, with improved walk and K rates, and an opponents average of .241.  Baseball America rated him the Marlins’ 13th best prospect after the season.

2011
AAA:  12-7-0, 4.97 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 150.1 IP, 4.7 BB/9, 6.9 K/9

In AAA, Koehler got off to a strong start, but had a very bad stretch beginning in late May, with an ERA of 7.56 over a dozen starts.  He did pitch better over his last seven starts.  A lot of the trouble was walks, although he also allowed 18 gopher balls.  BA still rated him the Marlins’ 26th best prospect and the team added him to their 40-man roster after the season.

2012
AAA:  12-11-0, 4.17 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 151.0 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 8.2 K/9
MLB:  0-1-0, 5.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 13.1 IP, 1.4 BB/9, 8.8 K/9

Koehler returned to AAA and pitched a little better, with markedly better walk and K rates.  He got a September callup and got into eight games, including one start.

2013
AAA:  0-2-0, 2.74 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 23.0 IP, 4.7 BB/9, 7.0 K/9
MLB:  5-10-0, 4.41 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 143.0 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 5.8 K/9

The Marlins sent Koehler back to AAA for three starts, then called him up.  Except for one game back in AAA, he stayed with the Marlins, pitching out of their rotation after relieving in his first six outings.  He pitched respectably with Miami, although with a very low K rate.

2014
MLB:  10-10-0, 3.81 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 191.1 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 7.2 K/9

Koehler spent the season in the Miami rotation, making 32 starts.  He improved his K rate and held opponents to a solid 248/320/371 line.  He generally kept the ball in the park, allowing 16 gopher balls.

2015
MLB:  11-14-0, 4.08 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 187.1 IP, 3.7 BB/9, 6.6 K/9

Koehler made 31 starts, but didn’t have quite as good a year.  All his numbers got a little weaker, including his walk and K rates, his opponents average of .255, and his HR rate, which went from one every 12 innings the previous year to one every eight and a half.

2016
MLB:  9-13-0, 4.33 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 176.2 IP, 4.2 BB/9, 7.5 K/9

In a career-high 33 starts, Koehler saw all his numbers get a little weaker, except for an improved K rate.  Opponents this time managed a line of 261/344/421 and his average innings per start dropped from six to less than five and a half.

2017
A+ (Mia):  0-1-0, 6.75 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 11.3 K/9
AAA (Mia):  1-1-0, 1.67 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 17.0 IP, 3.1 BB/9, 13.1 K/9
MLB (Mia):  1-5-0, 7.92 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 55.2 IP, 4.7 BB/9, 7.1 K/9
MLB (Tor):  0-2-0, 2.65 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 17.0 IP, 3.2 BB/9, 9.5 K/9

Koehler had a rough season.  In mid-May, with his ERA sitting at 7.04, the Marlins optioned him to AAA, only to have the option nullified due to shoulder bursitis.  He returned to the majors at the beginning of July and gave up 19 earned runs in just 17.1 IP over four starts, at which point the Marlins optioned him to AAA.  Miami sent him to Toronto in mid-August and the Blue Jays employed him in relief, except for one start.  He pitched much better, including a K rate of better than one per inning, and a small increase in fastball velocity.  The Jays nevertheless non-tendered him after the season.

2018
INJURED

The Dodgers signed Koehler to a one-year deal with the notion of using him out of the bullpen, apparently due to his late season success with the Jays.  The plan never got underway, as Koehler went out with a shoulder strain early in spring training.  After a setback in his rehab, he had shoulder surgery in July.

2019
R:  0-1-0, 27.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 0.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 13.5 K/9
A-:  1-0-0, 6.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
AA:  0-0-0, 54.00 ERA, 9.00 WHIP, 0.1 IP, 27.0 BB/9, 27.0 K/9

Koehler made four rehab appearances in August, but he suffered a setback in mid-month and was shut down for the season.

The Pirates’ plan was to see how Koehler progressed and, if they were satisfied, exercise his option and consider him for their 2020 bullpen.  Obviously, that plan didn’t work.  The option called for a major league contract and the Pirates didn’t exercise it, but Koehler remains in the organization, according to the MLB web site.  It’s likely the Pirates re-signed him to a minor league deal for 2020.

• $850,000 if in major leagues plus $250,000 in incentives
• $1,250,000 club option for 2020, with $1,250,000 in incentives

2020: Minor league salary