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Cubs Sign Tsuyoshi Wada

By Mark Polishuk | November 3, 2014 at 9:37am CDT

The Cubs have signed left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada to a one-year, Major League contract, the team announced.  The deal is worth $4MM, and another $2MM available in incentives, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports (Twitter link).  The new contract overrides a $5MM team option the Cubs held on Wada’s services for the 2015 season.  Wada is represented by the Octagon Agency.

Wada, 33, finally got his first taste of Major League action last season, posting an impressive 3.25 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 3.00 K/BB rate over 69 1/3 IP (13 starts) with the Cubs.  Following a distinguished nine-year career in Japan, Wada signed a two-year, $8.15MM deal with the Orioles in December 2011, though he never threw as much as a pitch for the O’s thanks to Tommy John surgery.

After signing a minor league deal with the Cubs last offseason, Wada successfully rebuilt his value and has now worked himself into Chicago’s rotation plans for 2015.  The Cubs have been widely rumored to be interested in signing a top free agent pitcher (possibly Jon Lester) to add to Wada, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson, plus options like Jacob Turner and Felix Doubront are also in the rotation mix.

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Chicago Cubs Newsstand Transactions Tsuyoshi Wada

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35 Comments

  1. UK Tiger

    11 years ago

    Solid signing and value at that price.

    Pitched nicely there last season, solid FIP/WHIP, likely to more than earn that reasonable money.

    Reply
  2. Melvin Mendoza, Jr.

    11 years ago

    Turner is going to be DFA’d by May

    Reply
    • ubercubsfan

      11 years ago

      I’m pretty sure they’d rather DFA Jackson than Turner.

      Reply
      • bgardnerfanclub

        11 years ago

        What are they going to do with Edwin Jackson? He is a puzzle.

        Reply
        • ubercubsfan

          11 years ago

          I think some sort of bad contract swap with someone. Probably get some position player that can play CF or LF. Even if it’s just a player that ends up on the bench.

          Reply
        • xcal1br

          11 years ago

          Just curious, is there a rule in the CBA stating that a player with X amount of service time cannot be sent to the minors? Or some other stipulation that prevents it? If not, since we have to pay him one way or another, why not put him in Iowa and hopefully let him rebuild some value. At the very least, he’s not wasting a roster spot and he could act as insurance in case one of the main rotation pieces goes down with an injury.

          I realize he would need to go through waivers, but seriously, that should not be any kind of deterrent, haha.

          Reply
          • Melvin Mendoza, Jr.

            11 years ago

            Not that I know of, the only thing similar to that is after a player is out of options he can elect free agency when sent to the minors for the fourth time or something like that. I’m sure Jackson is out of options at this point.

            Reply
            • Joe Valenti

              11 years ago

              What happens to the contract if he elects FA? Are they on the hook for it?

              Reply
              • petrie000

                11 years ago

                if he elects free agency the Cubs are off the hook. He won’t, though… nobody else is going to pay him 11 million dollars.

                Reply
      • Melvin Mendoza, Jr.

        11 years ago

        They’re both terrible, but it’s much easier said than done to get rid of Jackson

        Reply
        • ubercubsfan

          11 years ago

          If they are both sunk costs, I’d rather roll the dice with Turner maybe turning it around and getting much better than Jackson. Turner is only 23 and won’t be a free agent till 2019.

          Reply
          • Melvin Mendoza, Jr.

            11 years ago

            Of course…but it’s not as though they can just easily rid themselves of Jackson. I really don’t see a bad contract swap happening.

            Reply
            • ubercubsfan

              11 years ago

              Well, we know they have to pay Jackson regardless if he plays or not. At this point, who has a better possible future with the team for the roster spot if it came down to Jackson or Turner. If it’s Turner, just think you are paying him Jackson’s 11MM and Jackson is being Turner’s 1MM. I’m sure the FO see’s it that way as well.

              Reply
              • Joe Valenti

                11 years ago

                If Turner has options you might have a better time just sending him down

                Reply
                • petrie000

                  11 years ago

                  Turner doesn’t, it’s why the Marlin’s had to waive him last year. But the Cubs picked him up mostly so they could get a good long look at him in the off-season anyway.

                  Reply
            • Jamesonhendry

              11 years ago

              Should have taken Upton and make the Braves pay most of it.

              Reply
    • Harry Callahan

      11 years ago

      Maybe Turner can find a spot in the bullpen. I think that might be a better role for him anyway.

      Worst case scenario, they try to pass him through waivers the day before opening day and get him down to AAA

      Reply
  3. youngcy

    11 years ago

    Arrieta is the key, they sign a solid FA Pitcher, and he has another good season, the Cubs should be in the hunt. Reason I think Lester is Theo doesn’t want to lose Draft Picks.
    Nothing wrong with this signing.

    Reply
    • slider32

      11 years ago

      I think Cubs fans will be happy with their free agent signings this year, it’s time for Theo and Jed to make their move. Would you be happy with Lester and McCarthy?

      Reply
      • FredBlassie

        11 years ago

        That’s exactly who I’m hoping for. Lester & McCarthy.

        Reply
  4. youngcy

    11 years ago

    I’ll be rooting for my Team, but BOY I would love the Cubs to win a WS. Baseball needs it. They are the most patient Fans in Baseball.

    Reply
  5. youngcy

    11 years ago

    If I were the Cubs now, see if they can get Hickey, guy is underrated Pitching Coach. Rays were smart they would make him Manager.

    Reply
    • ubercubsfan

      11 years ago

      Cubs seem to have a very good pitching coach right now in Bosio. I think they’ll hang onto him for a while.

      Reply
      • youngcy

        11 years ago

        That’s your team, so you know more than me that’s for sure.

        Reply
        • ubercubsfan

          11 years ago

          Bosio has worked some magic with Arrieta. I’m hoping with some real time with Turner that he may be good.

          Reply
    • slider32

      11 years ago

      How about Dave Duncan? Ha!

      Reply
  6. connfyoozed .

    11 years ago

    Wada good deal for the Cubs.

    Reply
    • xcal1br

      11 years ago

      Noice!

      Reply
  7. Jack 17

    11 years ago

    I’m guessing that 5million dollar figure isn’t necessarily accurate, it’s just the figure that someone hypothesized.

    If it is true, (and not just a ballpark guess which is all I ever saw reported) that would make this a million dollar gamble. A gamble that doesn’t quite make sense unless those are some very favorable and easy to reach incentives.

    Reply
  8. Harry Callahan

    11 years ago

    Wouldnt mind seeing this opening day rotation:

    Lester
    Arrieta
    Liriano
    Hendricks
    Wada

    Reply
  9. brickman

    11 years ago

    You can still have Syndergaard if your willing to part with Russell, Montero and Gee if Castro is as far as you’ll go.

    Reply
    • petrie000

      11 years ago

      i’m thinking the ship has sailed on those dreams, especially if the Cubs land Lester. If the Cubs are in ‘go for it’ mode, Castro plus a few lesser pieces could easily net a Cole Hamels instead after the year he had.

      Reply
      • brickman

        11 years ago

        The Cubs have a lot of young talent. They need to ask themselves if the want to get a pitcher for 10 years or two years.

        Reply
        • petrie000

          11 years ago

          a sure thing now is worth more than a possibly great thing later if your intent is to win now. If the Cubs are looking to trade away some of ‘the future’, it’s not going to be for other future pieces.

          Reply
          • brickman

            11 years ago

            Syndegaard is major league ready now besides the Cubs currently don’t have the talent to win next year. Didn’t they win only 73 games last year and 66 the year before? Lester will be gone by the time they are ready to win.

            Reply

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