1:37pm: Rosario is set to sign with the Hanshin Tigers, Crasnick now tweets, confirming several reports out of Japan.
10:39am: Former big league catcher Wilin Rosario, who has starred in the Korea Baseball Organization for the past two seasons and drew some interest from MLB clubs in free agency this offseason, is nearing a deal with a yet-unidentified team in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, reports ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter).
The near deal with an NPB club seems to close the book on a potential MLB return for Rosario at present. It’s not clear which teams were interested in him, or to what extent he was pursued, but it’s not uncommon for former big leaguers to land lucrative deals in Japan.
Rosario’s glovework as a catcher was widely panned during his MLB tenure, leading to increased time at first base in near the end of his run in the Majors. He’s played first base in Korea as well and had plenty of success at the plate there, batting a combined .330/.390/.625 with 70 home runs in 1042 plate appearances with the Hanwha Eagles from 2016-17. Rosario batted .282/.314/.507 with 49 homers with the Rockies from 2012-13 but saw that production dip to a more pedestrian .268/.301/.427 in 2014-15 — his final two seasons playing with the Rox.
The next Eric Thames
I would have liked to see him back in the majors, but he’s better suited overseas.
Ole’ boy just can’t find his way back to North America! He needs to play first exclusively so at the very minimum if he does return one day, he at least could be part of a quality platoon with a middling or below average team…
That’s no little feat! He’s been from Tucson to Tucumcari…Tehachapi to Tonapa…Clearly wilin to do whatever it takes to stay in the game.
I’ve sold Rosarios to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrooke, and by gum, it put them on the map!
Well, sir, there’s nothing on earth
Like a genuine,
Bona fide,
Electrified,
Six-car
Rosario! …
What’d I say?
Rosario!
What’s it called?
Rosario!
That’s right! Rosario!
Rosari……..D’OH!
I’m still waiting for the player to start in Phoenix, Arizona go all the way to Tacoma (Mariners AAA), then to Philadelphia, Atlanta and Los Angeles (in that order), Than finish his career in Northern California (Giants or A’s)
Mitch Haniger is on the fast track.
Is that it? Heck my cousin Jack hit 80 homeruns for the Pyongyang Puddin Tang back in the 80’s. .
I hear Kim Jong-un has is looking to be posted next season.
100/100 with 100 hrs.
……Isn’t he a dream.
Rosario would be really good on an al club
He has a lot of power
His defense is suspect though
Best of luck
Rosario’s bat has always been solid. He needs to take a page out of Carlos Santana’s book while in Japan and dedicate himself to improving his defense. Otherwise he’ll spend the rest of his career in Asia.
Not a bad thing if you like Asian women
Now that Sanchez is gone, I wouldn’t have minded Rosario being the back up to Hedges in SD. Torrens could use some time in AA/AAA and get more at bats. I love Rocky Gale, but he’s no more than an org guy.
Scouts hate his work as a catcher, he wasn’t well regarded by any metrics as far as I know. I doubt teams really considered him as a catcher, especially because backup catchers are usually the pitch-framing, game-calling, can’t hit at all types
Hedges is going to play 6 days a week. Having Rosario coming off the bench and startng once a week probably woulldnt have been a hinderance
Didn’t even realize he was out of MLB. Why? Wasn’t the dude like a .270 hitter with an OBP around .310-.320 with 20+ HR power……. that’s pretty top notch output for a catcher. How does he not have a job here yet. say, Kurt friggin Suzuki does.
I mean that offensive output from Rosario is about what the great Yadier Molina’s been putting out since 2014…… just that Rosario has loads more power than Molina….. but Molina makes up for it defensively. I can’t imagine Rosario is THAT bad defensively that he got booted from MLB. I mean that offensive output is decent enough for a DH here. And if he were given everyday ABs as a DH here he’d probably hit about 30 HRs a year……. like he’s been doing in Korea I see. In the 3 MLB seasons he was allowed to play 100 or more games he averaged a .277 BA, .311 OBP, 22 doubles, and 21 HRs in only 409 ABs, again on average.
So again, why is he out of MLB? It’s not like he’s crap nor is he “old” by baseball standards. In fact, he’s just hitting his supposed “prime” years. Last season he was 27 years old, and now if he signs with NPB he’ll be entering his age 28 season with them. I am a Cubs fan. If they weren’t just completely oozing top level talent at every position like they currently are pretty much – I’d want Rosario on my team.
His glove isn’t good
His catching skill are more or less the horrible
His bat was on point for 2 years than the next it took a sharp decline
Being said that he played at doors field and struggled his last two years
That’s like being at petco parking in 04-07 and struggling
I watched Rosario play C & 1B for the Rockies for a couple years, and I can assure you his defense really is as bad as insiders are saying. I found it hard to believe that a professional baseball player who rose to the major league level was so fundamentally challenged on defense. Unless he does a 180 in Japan next year his best hope is to sign a major league contract as a pure DH in the future.
Communication/language issues as well.
Body odor
Why you said that dynamite?
Smell you later!