The Dodgers have re-signed right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year contract worth $12MM. The deal includes a full no-trade clause and an additional $500K in performance bonuses.
Kuroda, 36 in February, just wrapped up a three-year deal with the Dodgers that paid him $35.3MM. He's pitched to a 3.60 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 82 career starts (and one relief appearance) with LA, though 2010 was his best season yet: 3.39 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 in 196.1 innings. Kuroda missed time with a shoulder strain, an oblique issue, and a concussion during his first two years in MLB, but he was healthy this season.
Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times reported the original agreement as well as the length of the contract. SI.com's Jon Heyman and FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal added the financial details (all four Twitter links).
Guess it’s official now.
Good move. A top four of Kershaw Billingsley Lilly and Kuroda is pretty good. Colletti needs to get on signing someone new though. We need someone new on this team to give it a boost.
I want Dunn.
I’ll take Dunn if we trade Loney
I’ll take Loney if we trade Kawakami
A career .250 hitter and a lousy defender. The price for his power is just too high.
Who cares about the fact that he hits .250 if he has a career .381 OBP?
Lern2Baseball
You should care, because that stat can be deceptive. Slow baserunners like Dunn are often pitched around or intentionally walked because they’re so easily doubled up. Dunn is the classic one-trick pony.
Dunn get’s on base more, hits more homeruns, scores more runs, and drives in more runs than Loney. Loney hit into 14 double plays last year, and 16 the year before. Dunn hit into 10 double plays last year and 8 the year before. So your argument is wrong.
That was not my argument. Try again.
Loney is a terrible hitter for a firstbaseman. He would be adequate if he was a secondbaseman, but he isn’t. Dunn is a far superior offensive player. Batting Average is the only statistic that Loney is superior to Dunn with. But honestly last year Dunn only batted .260 compared to Loney’s .268 with no power.
I like the signing but 12 million is a little bit too much.
Actually fangraphs says it’s the most fair dollar figure based on his expected WAR.
It’s a pretty big steal for the Dodgers simply because it’s for a fair price and only for one year.
12 million… Seems like a lot for a guy like Kuroda.
A consistent 3.4-3.8 ERA pitcher for 1 year/12-million in today’s market? That’s a great deal. He could have gotten 3 years at that rate on the open market.
12 million is a lot for kuroda IMO. But it is in LA where they’ll probably make the money back quickly for a Japanese player.
8-9 mill seems more of Kurodas deservings.12 mill for him is too much.
12 million is overpaying for one year, but if Kuroda really wanted to test the market he probably could’ve found a 3-year ~$24M deal elsewhere. Dodgers have to consider themselves lucky. He’ll be 36 next year so a one year deal is definitely the low risk move.
Dodgers likely done with major signings after spending $33 million for 2011 on Lilly and Kuroda. A minor signing of a middle infielder is likely, but no more splashes from Dodgers until its decided who actually own the team.
$23 million actually, and probably less given McCheap’s propensity for backloading and deferred money.
Why’s he agreeing to a one-year deal? He probably could’ve gotten at least two years in the free market. Unless he’s planning on retiring after next season, when he’s 37.
It’s been said, he was considering returning to Japan.
Now dish off Kemp to Boston for Lowrie and Rizzo. Then sling Loney for whatever OF help we can get.
No.
must be a red sox fan if you think thats a fair trade.
Actually I’m a Dodger fan. And I had the original trade down as Ellsbury, Lowrie
Good signing. The Dodgers maybe overpaid a little bit, but Kuroda was being touted as the second best free agent pitcher, so he was going to be overpaid anyway.
Great move. A top four of Kershaw Billingsley Lilly and Kuroda is pretty good.They could sign WEbb to be their #5 starter.It would be a nice rotation with these 5.
Webb is probably done, to be honest. If we’re going to pay $5million for a 5th starter, it’s going to be on re-signing Padilla, not on someone like Webb.
It would be nice to see Padilla back.
I’d prefer taking a risk on Chris Young over Webb…
Awesome!! Kuroda has been excellent for the Dodgers since hes been here. Hes been hurt a little, but he can dominate a game. I think he really wants to go back to japan, but is probably making more money here. He likes being in LA and LA likes him so its a fit. One more solid signing, maybe Padilla, and the rotation should be set, and should be a good one. Now lets get Adrian Beltre back in blue, and push Blake into a utility role and were looking good. Play Blake in the OF or at 1b against some of the tougher lefties.
Yeah, if we signed Beltre I could definitely live with a Loney/Blake platoon at 1B. Their splits last season would justify it. Blake was terrible vs. RHP and Loney was terrible vs. LHP.
yeesssss!!!! this is a big piece ned has added for the 2011 dodger season!! which is looking bright!!!!!!
its nice that we got him back, but all we are doing is getting players back from last year, when we sucked. Get Dunn and Garland now, then im impressed
funny thing about physical exams and medical results.
They take time, and it was the weekend.
He made $15.6m last season. $12m is a good deal. With Lilly already signed, Kuroda was probably the best pitcher remaining behind Cliff Lee.