11:30pm: Iwakuma's deal is worth at least $14MM over two years, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The right-hander will get $6.5MM in 2013, $6.5MM in 2014, and a $1MM buyout if his $7MM option for 2015 is declined.
10:13pm: The Mariners announced that they have agreed to a new deal with right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma that will extend him through 2014 with an option for 2015. Iwakuma is a client of the Wasserman Media Group.
Seattle had exclusive negoatiating rights with the pitcher through tomorrow night. If General Manager Jack Zduriencik did not reach agreement with Iwakuma by the deadline then the hurler would not have been able to pitch until May 15th.
The M's inked Iwakuma to a one-year, $1.5MM deal last year and did well in his debut MLB season. The 31-year-old 3.16 ERA with 7.3 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 16 starts and 14 relief appearances.
He was solid last year. Provided he’s not too expensive, I like this deal for the Mariners. I love the fact that he seems to be comfortable enough to relieve or start.
For anyone who knows more…why would Iwakuma not have been eligible to pitch until May 15 had a deal not been reached?
Seems like a negotiating tactic.
I think it had something to do with him being an international free agent originally. The November 3rd deadline only applied to the Mariners, it was the exclusive negotiating window. He would’ve been able to sign with any other team after that and WOULD have been eligible to pitch at the start of the season for any of them. If the Mariners had signed him past tomorrow night, he wouldn’t have been eligible to pitch for them til May 15th.
That’s pretty much it. It was due to the special clause in the contract though, not because of being an international FA.
I’m glad that the M’s were able to reach an agreement with Iwakuma. He was solid down the stretch as well as out of the Pen.
love the signing, but it was criminal that he didn’t start all year last year, especially the opening series in Japan. He was the 2nd best pitcher in Japan behind Darvish. Wedge, should have been canned for the misuse of Iwakuma last year.
It was because he was still rehabbing his shoulder from the surgery. He wasn’t put into the rotation till the second half cause he was doing a strengthening program with the bullpen guys while being available for long relief.
This is a good deal for both parties. An upgrade financially on Iwakuma’s part and the M’s get a solid pitcher that would normally cost $10-12 million per year for those stats.