Kosuke Fukudome Update

He is replaced by Lew Ford for much, much cheaper...I am assuming.

Has he even said if he is coming to America or not?

has there been anything documented by any american scouts on this guy or is the u.s. going strickly by what the people of japan are saying . all i know are rough stats .300 avg, .380 obp. ability to hit 20 hrs ? doesn't quite seem like someone who is worth over 10 million a year which i understand is what teams are offering at a starting point here . tell me boras isn't his agent .

I think a .380 to .400 OBP is more what is exciting about him offensively...and CERTAINLY would make him worthwhile at 10 mil for a team like the Cubs, who are starved for OBP and a lefty to put somewhere in the order around Soriano, Lee, and Ramirez...all righties.

Defensively, he is a stud. He plays a great right field, and can even play come center. He also is supposed to have an absolute cannon for an arm...

So 10 mil is a lot...but depending on the team, he could be well worth it. I'm a Cubs fan...and he provides pretty much EVERYTHING they are looking for in a RF. 10 mil is well worth it, if he doesn't flop anyway.

Ok, I was curious so I took a trip back in time to find out what Tim has posted on the guy…

From May 2007:
“Mike Plugh is a Japanese baseball guru, and he's writing quite a bit these days. I first caught on to his reading with the Matsuzaka Watch. He also has a Yankees blog called Canyon of Heroes, and has been featured at Baseball Prospectus regularly.

Following my April 29th post on Japanese right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, I asked Mike whether he thought Fukudome could play third base or center field capably. Not only did Mike answer that question, but he gave some interesting background on Fukudome in general. His thoughts are below.

On which positions Fukudome could play:
Fukudome would be an excellent Red Sox outfielder, and he'd hit a million doubles in that park. His days as an infielder are finished, but I think he could play any of the outfield positions. He's best in right though. Center would be an option, but not the most attractive one from a defensive standpoint.

What we can expect offensively:
He is an on base machine with power to the gaps. He won't be a home run slugger, but he'll be standing on first or second base after about 40% of his plate appearances.

On Fukudome's personality and attitude:
He's a competitor too. Kind of a throwback guy. No dyed hair, jewelry, image enhancements. Buzz cut, square jaw, intense eyes. Not that those things make you a good or bad player, but fans will be turned on by his serious approach.”

…So he was a 3B who moved to RF. He probably wont be too hot in CF, but he should be fine in Right. Something like a “Defensive wizard” isn’t what I read from it; the Arm part is probably true because of his time at 3B though. Oh, and he’s something like 31YO.

He is an OBP guy with some 2B power. At best this looks like something maybe close to Ichiro without the Def ability ~ but that’s expecting his OBP to stay that high when moved to American Baseball. At worst Kaz might be a very good comparison; just at the RF position.

That sound about right Tim?

Will be interesting to see how he translates…