• Todd Zolecki says the Phillies would likely have to trade Geoff Jenkins or Matt Stairs if they want to add another right-handed bat to the bench, noting that it is not likely for either player to be released after the Phils already ate Adam Eaton’s contract. Zolecki does say that Stair’s $1M salary would be easier to absorb.
• Dan Barbarisi of the Providence Journal gives us some quotes from Terry Francona in response to being asked about Jonathon Papelbon calling Manny Ramirez a “cancer.” Francona would not answer the questions directly but did say “The moves we make, I think that speaks volumes enough.”
  
• Keith Law scouted the Japanese squad at the World Baseball Classic and gives us the rundown on a few of their better players. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t believe that any of the players mentioned will be eligible to make the jump to MLB anytime soon.
  

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

• Mets Geek takes a look at three recent rumored deals that may be sitting on Omar Minaya’s desk and ponders whether or not the Mets should make each trade.
• The Detroit Tigers Weblog breaks down what a Jack Wilson trade would mean for the Tigers.
• Fire Brand of the American League feels that with the recent additions to the bullpen, the Red Sox may be better suited to insert Justin Masterson into the rotation, rather than sign a high-priced free agent.
• Ump Bump suggests that the Angels could get more bang for the buck if they sign Adam Dunn over Mark Teixeira.
• The ’Burgh Blues picks through the scraps and identifies eight players they would like to see the Pirates invite to Spring Training, including Richie Sexson, Sidney Ponson, Mark Prior and Matt Clement.
• MLB Notebook takes a look at the big guns in the free agent market and feels that the Yankees are no longer in a position to set the pace. Rather, they argue that the Angels now control the market.
• East Windup Chronicle feels that some are underestimating the amount of potential Major League talent playing in Japan, noting the number is "at least 30" and considerably more if they had the opportunity to start in the minors out of high school.
• Bernies Crew likes the Jorge Julio signing by the Brewers, noting the move gives the team much needed flexibility and depth in the bullpen.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com. If you have a suggestion for this feature, Cork can be reached here.

That Michael was sent to Japan for the first time signifies a shift for the Yankees, who have relied on their Pacific scouts for several years. Following the disastrous signing of Kei Igawa, however, the Yankees aren’t taking any chances, sending one of their most trusted talent evaluators to look at potential acquisitions.

Feinsand notes that it is unclear which players the Yankees are interested in, but does list several players that could be available including right-handers Koji Uehara, Kenshin Kawakami and lefty Hitoki Iwase, a reliever.

Feinsand does not mention the biggest potential prize, Yu Darvish. Previously the Yankees were listed as one of the teams with a scout at the Olympics to watch Darvish. While nobody is certain that Darvish will be posted this winter, if rumors of a $75MM posting fee are even close to accurate, the Yankees will have to be involved.

In July we looked at some potential free agents from Japan and last winter East Windup Chronicle ranked several Japanese pitchers, none of whom have yet to make the jump to the US.

Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.

• Hitoki Iwase was lit up in the Olympics, possibly dropping his stock as a prospect. Iwase was one of several Japanese players being scouted by Major League clubs in Beijing.
• Luis Gonzalez reminisces about his trade to the Diamondbacks ten years ago.
• Manny Ramirez is not interested in talking about those old Philadelphia rumors. I’m shocked, shocked.
• J.D. Drew’s back spasms are actually a herniated disk. According to Nick Cafardo, the Red Sox would love to add another outfielder, but can’t seem to lay their hands on one. No offense to Jason Lane.
• He’s baaaa-aaaack: Free-agent-to-be Carl Pavano is starting tonight for the New York Yankees. Strike up the band and break out the rum punch.
• Recently traded infielder Jose Bautista was at odds with Pirates manager John Russell.
• Thomas Boswell talks about the possibility of Stephen Strasburg becoming a National next year.

Sarah Green writes for UmpBump and the Boston Metro and can be reached here.

• With Mike Lowell headed to the DL, Jeff Horrigan wonders if a waiver trade for an infielder could be in order.
• ESPN’s Buster Olney mentioned the Indians’ Jamey Carroll as a possibility for the D’Backs on Monday, though he noted the two teams have not talked.
• Evan Grant suggests the Rangers trade Engel Beltre or Elvis Andrus for pitching this winter.  Additionally, he thinks the Rangers might end up trading Jarrod Saltalamacchia rather than Gerald Laird.
• Aaron Gleeman revisits the ’03 trade of Bobby Kielty for Shannon Stewart.
• Patrick Newman runs down some lesser-known Japanese free agents.
• Rany Jazayerli has an interesting post about Royals first base prospect Kila Kaaihue.
• Jeff Passan’s list of this year’s 25 most improbable success stories is a good read.
• MLB.com’s Justice B. Hill has a story about a kid who had Tommy John surgery at age 14.
• ESPN did a bunch of mini-features about this year’s hired guns for their magazine.

• Koji Uehara, SP/RP – NPB Tracker profiles him here.
• Tomohiro Nioka, SS – We wrote a little bit about Nioka in October of ’07.
• Kenshin Kawakami, SP – East Windup Chronicle profiled him for us last year.
• Hitoki Iwase, RP – That same post also covered Iwase.
• Masahiro Araki, 2B – Hit .263/.296/.302 in ’07 – not much with the bat.
• Hirokazu Ibata, SS – Hit .296/.368/.393 in ’07.
• Ryoji Aikawa, C – Hit .302/.369/.353 in ’07.
• Tatsuhiko Kinjoh, OF – Hit .284/.349/.427 in ’07.

• Check out the latest MLB Roundup video.  The crew hands out April awards, assesses Billy Beane’s gameplan, and looks at Jeff Ma’s third-place Tout Wars team.
• RotoAuthority helps Yovani Gallardo owners pick up the pieces and find a replacement (he has a torn ACL).  The Brewers have guys they can plug in but Gallardo seemed primed for a stellar season.  They’ll keep an eye on the trade market.
• Mike Hampton could retire, but it’s highly unlikely that he’ll abandon the rest of his ’08 salary.
• Nippon Professional Baseball might shorten the tenure needed for free agency, except for those looking to go overseas.  Players hoping to jump from Japan to MLB would still have to serve nine years or be posted.
• In the sidebar of this article, Ken Rosenthal suggests that Frank Wren will explore the trade market for starting pitching but won’t overpay for mediocrity.  Tracy Ringolsby wonders whether the Braves will consider re-acquiring Kevin Millwood.

The Phillies, Cubs, Rangers, and Mets might be considered on the fringes of this pursuit, as all have been linked to him in the past.

Kazuo Fukumori – Might have emerged as a top-flight closer on a better team, but best years may have been wasted playing for expansion Rakuten Golden Eagles. Still, saved 21 games and was an All-Star in ’06. ERA jumped nearly two runs in 2007, but still saved 17 and maintained a strikeout per inning ratio. Has a formidable slider that tails toward right handed batters. Could emerge as a nice sleeper considering the number of solid closers possibly headed to the U.S. Tampa Bay has been mentioned as being in hot pursuit.  [Note: the Red Sox may be in on him as well.]

Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi – Lefty signed with agent Scott Boras in 2003, but nothing came of it. Had an off year in ’04, but in ’05, his 14th as a pro, had a career year going 15-3 with a 2.99 ERA. Has seen a decline in past two years in ERA, Ks, and wins, while BB/9 has jumped. But despite age has only averaged 95.5 innings per season and could be serviceable as a long reliever/spot starter in a new league. Throws a javelin in the offseason to maintain body/arm balance.

Yasuhiko Yabuta – Yabuta, the right-handed set up man for the Chiba Lotte Marines, is probably best known for striking out A-Rod, Derrek Lee, and Johnny Damon in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.  The Chicago White Sox need a set-up man and are rumored to have a strong interest in Yabuta, who has racked up 86 holds and a sub 3.00 ERA over the last 3 years for the Marines despite not panning out as a starter. [Note: the Red Sox are said to have a working agreement with the Marines, also.]

Yukinaga Maeda – The 37 year old left-hander Maeda was given his release by the Yomiuri Giants recently and is planning on making his trip over to the majors.   Despite posting dreadful stats over the last several years (ERA’s of 4.65, 7.23, and 5.06 in 2005-2007) and a career W-L record of 78-110,  His ’07 season was marked by a series of call-ups and send-downs, and going on 38 years old, it’s hard to see this guy making a huge contribution. 

Given the dearth of quality left-handed pitching, a team in need of a left-handed relief specialist might take a gamble on Maeda based on his performance from 1998-2004, split between the Giants and Chunichi Dragons.  Then again lefties hit .318 against him in NPB, so I shudder to think what Ryan Howard will do to him given the chance. On that note, Hideki Okajima may soon become the hero for all mediocre Japanese pitchers who get signed to contracts based on the possibility of being the next Hideki Okajima.

• Bleed Cubbie Blue has a Cubs source indicating the Cubs are serious about both Hiroki Kuroda and Kosuke Fukudome.  They could be signed quickly and fill team needs.  This info jives with the recent info from Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald. While Kuroda recently filed for free agency, he’s open to offers from MLB and Hiroshima.    
• South Side Sox has their suggested offseason plan up for the White Sox.  I like the idea of acquiring Pat Burrell and/or Rafael Furcal with Type A draft pick compensation in mind.
• Curt Schilling was in Philly to watch the Eagles last night.
• It seems possible that the Nationals could sign Corey Patterson for center field if they can’t get one of the big names.
• La Velle E. Neal III says the Twins and Red Sox have touched base about Coco Crisp.  He adds that the Twins and Rays have been having conversations, perhaps in reference to Rocco Baldelli. 
• Mike Lieberthal may be on the radar for the Blue Jays.
• Scott Rolen is said to be open to waiving his no-trade clause, but the three years and $36MM on his contract will be a problem.

• Masahide Kobayashi, the 33 year-old righthanded closer, will be represented by SFX.  Fellow free agents Kerry Wood and Jorge Julio are also using that agency, as far as I can tell.
• Hiroki Kuroda is expected to fill for free agency on Monday.  Since there’s no posting fee involved, some have speculated his salary could exceed Daisuke Matsuzaka’s.  Matsuzaka will earn an average of $8.66MM per season during his six-year deal, and he also has a full no-trade clause.  The idea of Kuroda earning around $10MM per year jives with earlier remarks from Jason Churchill of Prospect Insider.
• The deadline to fill for free agency in Japan is November 12th.  Kosuke Fukudome is still undecided about whether to jump over to MLB.  He’ll meet with his current team, the Chunichi Dragons, on Monday.  They’re expected to make him an offer.  The Hanshin Tigers may also make a play at $20MM over four years, using the money they received from posting Kei Igawa.
• Some reports indicate that the Yankees may be interested in acquiring Kaz Matsui to play second base if they move Robinson Cano to third.  Doesn’t seem likely.   

Special thanks to Tak Iwanaga for translating.

1. Hitoki Iwase – Iwase was on the hill for the tail end of last night’s perfect game, the Japan Series clinching victory for the Chunichi Dragons. The lefty closer has 40+ saves three years running with a career 1.91 ERA. Tops out at around 93 MPH, but has arguably the best slider in Japan.  He’s starting to lose movement and velocity on his pitches, but is making up for it with very good control.   A nice fit for the Okajima fetishist.

2. Kenshin Kawakami – Japan’s highest paid starter for the champion Chunichi Dragons (he made around $3MM) mixes a fastball, cutter, and curveball.  His fastball runs around 87 and his curve is very slow. He’s known as a big game pitcher and always challenges hitters. He was 12-8 with a 3.55 ERA in 2007, but the K/BB ratio was an appealing 6.3 in 167 2/3 IP.  He’s a HR prone strikeout pitcher.  Kawakami has been healthy for the past four seasons.

3. Hiroki Kuroda – One number to remember here: 300, as in 300 feet to left and 300 feet to right. That’s the stadium Kuroda spent 10 years in, and still he managed to post a sub-2.00 ERA in 2006 and go 13-6. What could he do in Petco with 67 extra feet to left to play with?  Tak says that at the least, he’s an innings eater.

4. Kazumi Saito – Before Dice-K made his way to Boston, it was Hanshin’s Saito, not Matsuzaka that was regarded as the top starter in Japanese baseball. He’s won the Sawamura award three times, and when healthy puts up absurd numbers and gaudy K totals.   His 2006 line for the Fukuoka Hawks–18-5, 205 K’s in 201 IP, a 1.75 ERA–is the stuff of fictional video game characters.  Saito employs a big time leg kick, mixing up a forkball, cutter, and nasty hammer in with his mid 90’s fastball. 

Unfortunately for Saito and the many MLB suitors bandying his name about, he has been dealing with a chronic Prior-esque shoulder injury that could (and should) be a concern for squads ready to drop big coin on a Japanese starter.  Saito’s numbers when healthy were good this year as he battled back from injury: 6-3, 2.74, 71 K’s in 72 1/3 IP, but are teams going to post a $30 million posting fee and $10 mil a year for a starter with shoulder issues?  Boom or bust. 

5. Masahide Kobayashi – Lost seven games and ERA rose nearly a point in 2007, but that shouldn’t deter teams from pursuing this 200+ save closer for Chiba Lotte. Throws from the stretch, and has that deceptive delivery that scouts seem to like these days. Has a great forkball that often tails in toward the batter. Not as good as Iwase or Koji Uehara, but might just be an upgrade over, say, The Farns.  Tak adds that he was dropped to the "minors" at the end of the season and many feel his velocity and control are slipping.

McCovey Chronicles is cautiously intrigued, but only around a 3/24 level.  Mike Plugh has speculated that Fukudome could cost $12-15MM over three or four years, but that was written in May.  Fukudome saw his power production decline and finished the year with elbow surgery.  Still, .294/.443/.520 is a great baseline even if it translates to 15 HR power.

This isn’t the first time the Giants have been linked to Fukudome.  Susan Slusser mentioned the possibility in early September.  Other teams said to be in the mix: the Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, White Sox, and Padres.  I’m sure that list will continue to grow.  Perhaps the Yanks will exit the picture since they plan to exercise Bobby Abreu’s option.

1. Kosuke Fukudome, Dragons.  Left-handed hitting outfielder from the Dragons in Nagoya.  Can play any outfield position, but probably best in right.  A solid, no-nonsense type player, with a terrific glove and sound arm, he’s the best Japanese position player in either league.  Absolutely no secret about this guy. 

2. Hiroki Kuroda, RHP, Hiroshima Carp.  This fellow is probably a number three or four starter in the big leagues.   Was 12-8 this season in 26 starts with a 3.56 ERA.  A free agent last year, he decided to stay in Japan by signing a four-year deal with the Carp, but with a clause therein that allows him to test the waters when he so desires.  He’s probably going to do so now.  The Carp just announced that his arm was okay after a medical exam in the United States.  If you’re looking for more info on Kuroda, check out this post at East Windup Chronicle.

3. Masahide Kobayashi, RHP, Chiba Lotte Marines.  This closer was the number one draft pick by the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1999.  He may be the best available reliever on the free agent market, though he has not made the sort of overtures about wanting to leave Japan as the other two.  During the recent playoffs in Japan, his manager, Bobby Valentine, noted that Kobayashi keeps "looking better every time out.”  True enough, and a reason I like him.

Now comes word that the hamstring injury that knocked him out for the season’s first month caused him to fall just short of the service time needed for free agent eligibility.  Unless the Giants post him (unlikely), he’s off the radar for MLB teams this winter.  (Thanks to Mike Plugh of Uehara Watch for the info).  Fortunately for MLB fans, Kosuke Fukudome did maintain eligibility despite an injury late in the year.