SUNDAY: Given the deep free agent market for second basemen this offseason, it was plausible Kikuchi would again explore his MLB options next winter. That no longer seems to be the case. Kikuchi instead agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Carp on Friday, reports the Japan Times. The deal will reportedly pay him $2.7MM per year, with unspecified additional incentives available.
THURSDAY: Japanese infielder Ryosuke Kikuchi won’t be coming to the majors in 2020. Kikuchi’s Nippon Professional Baseball team – the Hiroshima Carp – posted him Dec. 3, which gave him a chance to sign with a big league club through Jan. 2. But Kikuchi announced this week that he’ll remain in his homeland, according to Sanspo (hat tip to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker).
“The market moved slowly, so I took the decision that it would be better to inform the team early that I would stay,” Kikuchi said. “I was really torn.”
Kikuchi spent the previous eight years as a member of the Carp, with whom he developed a strong defensive reputation at second base. The soon-to-be 30-year-old’s offense hasn’t quite been up to par, though, as evidenced by his .271/.315/.391 line across 4,695 plate appearances in NPB.
Unfortunately for Kikuchi, his lack of offensive prowess no doubt worked against him as he tried to find a major league deal. Moreover, it surely didn’t help Kikuchi’s cause that he was an unproven commodity in a free-agent class of second basemen that’s loaded with familiar names. Starlin Castro, Brian Dozier, Ben Zobrist, Neil Walker, Jason Kipnis, Brock Holt, Scooter Gennett, Asdrubal Cabrera and Wilmer Flores are just some of the veteran second basemen who are still without contracts as the new year nears.
His agent didn’t know about the market!!??
They probably thought let’s try and see what interest they could generate. They didn’t get enough, so they go back.
The guy wanted to give it a shot and instead of stayin on the market forever he took what appears to be a sure thing, I’m sure a few of the free agent 2nd basemen would just head back to their previous teams if given the opportunity at this time
His agent knew about the market so what is your point? You think the agent said hey you got a free shot til January 2nd to see if you get an offer you like but hey its a tough market so do not even try?
Snap! More readily available pickled seaweed for him.
He had five more days to go could have gotten an offer
Would have been a minors deal, might as well just stay in NPB
Same thing will happen to Kim Jae Hwan Korean OF might have to return to the KBO
The 30-year-old with a career .706 OPS in a foreign league didn’t get a big offer from a Major League team? You don’t say…
I never really quite got what he thought was going to happen… like he doesn’t really offer much at all except ‘maybe?’ good-to-great defense at a position where that isn’t even really a top-priority. I mean I guess good for him for trying but I really never quite understood who or how he thought teams would pursue him given that he’s kind of an average to below average hitter in a league obviously not as good as the majors and he isn’t particularly young or overly versatile… like maybe he could have been a minor league signee that caught on and became a Utility player somewhere… But anything beyond that just would make any sense whatsoever.
The infield defense doesn’t seem to translate over here anyway.
AssChewBalls
no it’s assdribble. come on lets get it right OK ?
Kikuchi’s agent did indeed not understand the market. guys with his skillset (i.e. glove-first utility IF) fare better later in the offseason. shouldve asked to have been posted in January instead.
He can’t even hit Japanese league pitching. He wouldn’t have been considered for anything more than a minor league deal.
Not enough offense to even be seriously considered even if he probably could play shortstop
Kind of reminds me of a Alcides Escobar in terms of skillset, which probably isn’t going to attract too many buyers.
A worse version of Yolmer Sanchez…
Waiting another year will not help Kikuchi get a MLB deal, he’ll be 31 and with his skill-set, opportunities in MLB will be scarce. His US agent did not help and his pride probably either.
His agents collectively did a great job, he ended up with eight figures.
… and two thumbs
This year’s 2B FA class reminds me a lot of the 1B class of the previous 3 years. When the music stops playing there are gonna be more than a few second baggers with no seat.
Nobody was gonna pay the posting fee on top of whatever he wanted
His numbers just aren’t that great. Reminds me of Chase Headley.
He chose to be a big fish in a small pond.
Just for the halibut.
I wonder if he would’ve taken less money to play MLB than what he got to stay. It’s a moot point now given that he got such a muted response here.
Honest probably worth more than it might seem to most, at least to me. If the defense is well above average he’s worth a minor league offer of $1,000,000. They might not get it but that’s not far off what it was thirty years ago. Japanese players seem to bunt still and hit for Ave instead of batting 225 with 20-30 hr’s. Not sure if KBO does much small ball but a player like that should have had plenty of practice and could be a clubhouse presence, valuable baserunner, good/great defense and pinch hitter. Every team needs two or three.
No one is gonna sign Wilma flowers. He’s never been good. I’m surprised no one signed starlin Castro though. Great hitter. Good on defense. He can play SS or 2nd. Probably 3rd as well.