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Hiroki Kuroda

Blue Jays Unlikely To Acquire Matt Garza

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The Blue Jays continue exploring ways of improving their rotation, but they’re unlikely to acquire Matt Garza from the Cubs, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Garza is under team control through 2013 and the Blue Jays are wary of trading top prospects for a relatively short-term addition. There doesn't appear to be a leading suitor for the right-hander at the moment, but the Yankees, Tigers, Red Sox and Marlins appear to be in the mix to acquire him.

The Blue Jays don’t appear to be especially interested in free agent right-handers Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt and they’re unlikely to pursue Edwin Jackson, Rosenthal reports. Agent Scott Boras seeks a five-year deal for Jackson, but Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos has avoided major free agent expenditures since his hiring more than two years ago.

Toronto’s projected rotation includes Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil and Henderson Alvarez. Dustin McGowan, Carlos Villanueva and Aaron Laffey are others who could compete for a rotation spot in Spring Training. The Blue Jays expect to consider prospects Kyle Drabek, Drew Hutchison, Deck McGuire and Chad Jenkins for promotions in 2012, Rosenthal writes.

Yankees Unlikely To Make An Offer To Kuroda

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Earlier this week, it was reported that both the Yankees and Red Sox were pursuing free agent starter Hiroki Kuroda despite luxury tax concerns.  However, baseball sources tell Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com that the Bombers are unlikely to make a bid for the soon-to-be 37-year-old.

Kuroda seeks a deal that will pay him roughly $12-$13MM per season, which translates to something closer to $17MM when factoring in the 40 percent luxury tax charge.  Even though the Yankees like Kuroda, a club source told Matthews that the team simply doesn't have room in the budget for him.  Wallace writes that the Yankees' supposed interest in the veteran is likely designed to drive the price up for Boston.

This morning, prior to this report, nearly 28% of MLBTR readers voted the Yankees as the most likely destination for Kuroda.

Poll: Which Team Will Sign Hiroki Kuroda?

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As we approach the New Year, Hiroki Kuroda stands as one of the most attractive starters remaining on the open market.  The possibilities for Kuroda seemed to be rather limited when the offseason began but are now wide open. 

The hurler’s stated preference for remaining in Los Angeles led to him blocking deals that would have shipped him to a contender over the summer.  Even though Kuroda wanted to work out a new deal with the Dodgers, their financial restrictions led them to spend elsewhere and sign Chris Capuano to a highly back loaded deal.

Now, Kuroda is reportedly willing to listen to offers from all suitors, though it seems that he would prefer to remain on the West Coast.  The right-hander is after a $12-$13MM annual salary and at his age (37 in February), he won’t be seeking a long-term commitment. 

The Yankees and Red Sox, two teams who were pushing for him in July, are said to be in the mix.  The Diamondbacks and Rockies would each like to keep him in the NL West, though both clubs are budget-conscious as they look for a starter.  Kuroda was reportedly close to signing somewhere last week but all of the aforementioned teams plus the Rangers and Mariners said that it wasn’t with them.  Of course, there’s always the possibility that he’ll make his long-rumored return to the Hiroshima Carp.  So, where do you see Kuroda landing?

Cafardo’s Latest: Madson, Kuroda, Cespedes, Zumaya

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Even on Christmas, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe delivers his usual Sunday Baseball Notes column. This week, he runs down the best available players remaining on the free agent and trade markets at each position. Here are a few highlights from those lists and the rest of Cafardo's piece:

  • The Red Sox and Angels are "keeping the dialogue open" with Ryan Madson.
  • While many reports have indicated Hiroki Kuroda's willingness to play on the East Coast, the right-hander still has some desire to stay out west.
  • The Marlins are being aggressive on Yoenis Cespedes, with the Nationals right behind them. Earlier this weekend, we heard there's some divide within the Marlins' front office on Cespedes.
  • An AL GM on Joel Zumaya: "Our doctors don't think he would pass the physical based on what they see."
  • The Rays are among the clubs that have talked to Francisco Cordero.
  • Cafardo gets the feeling Matt Garza will be dealt, and warns not to rule out the Tigers.

Red Sox, Yankees Both Pursuing Hiroki Kuroda

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Only two teams had to pay luxury tax this year, and now they're both after the same pitcher. Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter) that both the Yankees and Red Sox are pursuing Hiroki Kuroda now that he's willing to leave California.

Kuroda, 37 in February, is one of the few remaining free agent innings eaters. The Yankees are said to like the veteran righty more than other available pitchers, and the Sox were reportedly trying to decide between signing Kuroda and trading for Gio Gonzalez as of a few days ago. With Gonzalez now in Washington, the decision has been made for them. Kuroda is looking for a $12-13MM annual salary.

Rockies Seek Pitching; Kuroda, Saunders Unlikely

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The Rockies continue to seek pitching help according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter), but they're unlikely to land either Joe Saunders or Hiroki Kuroda unless their asking prices come way down. Troy Renck of The Denver Post adds (on Twitter) that they did call the Athletics about Gio Gonzalez before he was traded to the Nationals, but they were unwilling to surrender four top prospects for the left-hander.

Colorado acquired Kevin Slowey from the Twins and Tyler Chatwood from the Angels earlier this offseason, who figure to compete with Jhoulys Chacin, Alex White, Drew Pomeranz, and Esmil Rogers for rotation spots in Spring Training. Jorge De La Rosa will return from Tommy John surgery at midseason, and Juan Nicasio has recently started throwing bullpen sessions after a batted ball fractured his C-1 vertebrae in August. After spending big on Michael Cuddyer, the Rockies figure to have some spending limitations going forward.

Remaining Free Agent Innings Eaters

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Finding an innings eater is not as easy as you’d think. Seven MLB teams didn’t have a single pitcher throw 200 innings in 2011 and none of those seven clubs made the playoffs. Only five teams — the Angels, Phillies, Brewers, Giants and Diamondbacks — had three pitchers log 200 innings. Those five clubs averaged 93 wins and accounted for all three division titles in the National League.

Now that it’s late December, many of the most durable free agent pitchers are no longer available. As a result, free agents Joe Saunders, Hiroki Kuroda and Edwin Jackson* are well positioned at this point in the offseason. They’re three of the 40 pitchers who logged 200 innings this past season and it’s no surprise that they’re each drawing interest, especially while the asking prices for trade candidates such as Gio Gonzalez remain high.

Not only does an innings eater contribute when he’s on the mound, he lightens the workload for others on the staff by pitching deep into games. For example, the Orioles’ bullpen was average at best in 2011 and if we measure the group in terms of strikeout rate (7.33 K/9) or ERA (4.18), it's easy to conclude that Buck Showalter was working with one of the worst bullpens in MLB. But Baltimore needed an MLB-leading 565 2/3 innings from the bullpen, and it’s not hard to imagine that the group’s performance would have been better with a few more days off over the course of the season. At the very least, Showalter would have called on middle relievers less often. Then the results would have been better even if the talent level remained unchanged.

Saunders, Kuroda and Jackson aren’t necessarily top-of-the-rotation starters and each has his flaws. But innings eaters are difficult to come by, so the three remaining free agents who reached the 200 inning plateau last year figure to continue drawing significant interest until they sign.

*Jackson pitched 199 2/3 regular season innings plus 17 2/3 in the playoffs. Should Javier Vazquez (192 2/3 innings) decide to play, teams will have interest in him, too.

AL East Notes: Upton, Red Sox, Kuroda, Gio, Bard

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The latest news and notes out of the AL East:

  • The Rays have talked about trading B.J. Upton but will likely end up keeping him, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (Insider link). While Upton is becoming more expensive, the Rays would have difficulty replacing his offensive and defensive production on the cheap.
  • The Red Sox are "kicking around their preference" between trying to sign Hiroki Kuroda or trade for Gio Gonzalez, writes Yahoo's Tim Brown.
  • WEEI's Alex Speier takes an in-depth look at the process of converting relievers to starters, with a focus on the Red Sox. Speier notes that even though the Sox are preparing Daniel Bard to start, it doesn't necessarily mean the right-hander will end up in the rotation.
  • Baseball America published their choices for the Rays' top ten prospects today, and though there are some surprises, the name atop the list isn't one of them.
  • For a few Orioles items, check out our post from earlier this morning.

Hiroki Kuroda May Be Nearing Deal

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Yahoo’s Tim Brown heard yesterday that Hiroki Kuroda was close to agreeing to a new contract. However, it’s not clear which team is nearing a deal with the right-hander. Here are the details and more of Brown’s links from around MLB:

  • The Mariners, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees were among the teams that informed Brown they were not the team nearing a deal with Kuroda.
  • The Dodgers didn’t scout Yoenis Cespedes in earnest or consider bidding on Yu Darvish, Brown reports. It cost the Rangers $51.7MM for the rights to negotiate with Darvish and Cespedes figures to cost tens of millions as well, so the players are too expensive for the cash-strapped Dodgers to consider.
  • Carlos Beltran figures to agree to terms by Sunday. His market includes the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Sox and a fourth team, possibly the Rays. Beltran is weighing two and three-year offers, Brown reports.

Diamondbacks Continue Eyeing Kuroda, Not Saunders

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THURSDAY: The D'Backs have moved on from Saunders, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

WEDNESDAY: The Diamondbacks continue eyeing Joe Saunders and Hiroki Kuroda as they look to fill out their starting rotation. They want to re-sign the left-handed Saunders, but are wary of his asking price, tweets Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. They also maintain interest in the right-handed Kuroda, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

The team currently has four starters in its projected 2012 rotation: Ian Kennedy, Daniel Hudson, Trevor Cahill and Josh Collmenter. Though Saunders has his strengths, he had a projected salary of $8.7MM as an arbitration eligible player, so Arizona GM Kevin Towers non-tendered him. Kuroda has drawn lots of interest this offseason after posting a 3.07 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 for the Dodgers in 2011. Los Angeles has filled out its rotation and no longer appears to be a possible destination for the 36-year-old.

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