4:25pm: Carig tweets that Kuroda has been mulling the offer over, but a decision isn't expected until after next week's Winter Meetings.
3:21pm: The Yankees have an offer on the table to right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, reports Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com. Marchand reports that the offer is believed to be in the $15-16MM range. Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News adds that the Yankees have had the offer on the table for quite some time, and the team never expected an answer until at least December (Twitter link). Marc Carig of Newsday tweets that it's been about a month since the offer was extended.
Kuroda, 38, pitched to a 3.31 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 46.6 percent ground-ball rate in 201 1/3 innings for the the Yankees in 2013. However, he also faded down the stretch, posting a 6.56 ERA in 46 2/3 innings in his final eight starts of the season. Kuroda has already rejected a $14.1MM qualifying offer from the Yankees and is said to be entertaining the thought of returning to Japan or looking for an opportunity in Southern California, where his family currently lives.
