Hiroki Kuroda is open to signing a one-year contract, reports Danny Knobler of CBS Sports, which could lead to "a reasonably quick deal" with the Yankees once the club makes its expected qualifying offer to the veteran right-hander on Friday. Kuroda turns 38 in February and wishes to eventually pitch again in Japan, which is why he's amenable to a short-term agreement that would leave his options open for the future.
Kuroda signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Yankees last offseason and was the most stable member of the New York rotation, posting a 3.32 ERA, a 3.27 K/BB ratio and a career-best 219 2/3 innings, topped by only five pitchers in baseball last year. The qualifying offer would pay Kuroda $13.3MM in 2013, though Knobler notes that he could possibly turn the offer down in hopes of finding a slightly higher offer from the Yankees or another club. The Royals and Padres are two teams rumored to have interest in Kuroda, though he will draw looks from several teams on the open market.
