Hiroki Kuroda

Hiroki Kuroda Landscape “Wide Open”

By Mike Axisa | December 3, 2011 at 4:51pm CDT

4:51pm: A source tells WEEI's Rob Bradford that the Red Sox are interested in Kuroda, but that their ability to sign him would be contingent on gaining financial flexibility through other moves.

2:47pm: Now that the Dodgers have effectively signed Capuano to replace Kuroda in their rotation, the landscape for the righty is "wide open," a source tells FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. According to Rosenthal, Kuroda is now willing to consider all offers, regardless of location.

9:12am: Yesterday we heard that the Rockies are out of the running for Roy Oswalt, but today Troy Renck of The Denver Post reports that they've been quietly pursuing Hiroki Kuroda. The right-hander is unlikely to return to the Dodgers following the Chris Capuano signing.

Kuroda, 37 in February, has pitched to a 3.23 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 398 1/3 innings across 63 starts over the last two seasons. The Angels and Diamondbacks are said to have interest in him, and the Hiroshima Carp also have an offer out to their former hurler. Kuroda prefers the west coast, but it stands to reason that the Yankees, Red Sox, Nationals, and others would have interest if he was willing to move east. The Rockies reportedly have interest in Jeff Francis and Kevin Millwood as well.

NL West Links: Sandoval, Cuban, Kuroda, Hernandez

By Mark Polishuk | December 1, 2011 at 11:29pm CDT

With Heath Bell now on his way to Miami, the Padres are more likely to look to the trade market than free agency for late-game help, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock. Some more from the NL West here….

Ryan Morgan, Pablo Sandoval's agent, told Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News that he has had "very broad discussions" with Giants VP Bobby Evans about Sandoval's 2012 contract and that Sandoval is open to a multiyear contract. Sandoval is going through the arbitration process for the first time this winter and Baggarly thinks the two sides could revisit the idea of an extension if Sandoval shows up in great shape to Spring Training.
Mark Cuban is interested in bidding to become the new Dodgers' owner, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Cuban will receive a "bid book" that contains the team's financial information, though having a bid book doesn't necessarily mean Cuban will indeed make a bid to buy the team.
The Dodgers have already much of their free money this winter and are still short two starting pitchers, reports Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times. Both Dilbeck and Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) don't think the Dodgers will have enough to re-sign Hiroki Kuroda.
Also from Knobler (via Twitter), the Rockies turned down the Braves' offer of Martin Prado in exchange for outfielder Seth Smith and prospect Nolan Arenado. Given that Arenado is one of Colorado's top prospects, this was a total pie-in-the-sky offer from the Braves.
Newly-signed Rockies catcher Ramon Hernandez appeared on the Venezuelan sports radio show Los Cronistas today (Twitter link, in Spanish) and said he isn't sure if he'll be physically able to keep playing beyond his current contract. Hernandez will be 37 by the time his two-year deal with Colorado expires. Thanks to Nick Collias of our sister site Rumores de Beisbol for the translation.
Justin Upton holds the top spot on Keith Law's list of the top 50 players who are 25 years old and under (ESPN Insider subscription required).

NL West Notes: Saunders, Dodgers, Giants

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 30, 2011 at 8:31pm CDT

The Rockies have grabbed the headlines tonight, trading Chris Iannetta to the Angels for Tyler Chatwood and agreeing to terms with Ramon Hernandez on a two-year deal. However, there’s lots more going on in the NL West. Here are the details:

There’s a “very good” chance Joe Saunders signs a two-year deal with the Diamondbacks, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Saunders, a non-tender candidate, has a projected 2012 salary of $8.7MM.
The Dodgers are looking for starting pitching and remain in on Hiroki Kuroda, Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark (on Twitter). However, Kuroda may be too pricey for the Dodgers, who also like Jeff Francis.
The Dodgers will have a new owner before long, so Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times asks baseball people what qualities a good owner has. I recommend DiGiovanna’s piece, which suggests passion and money top the list of traits fans might want in an owner.
Incoming Giants CEO Larry Baer confirmed that the team will operate with a $130MM payroll in 2012, according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. The team followed up its 2010 World Championship season with a $118MM payroll in 2011.
For more news on the Rockies, click here.

National League Free Agent Arbitration Offers

By Tim Dierkes | November 23, 2011 at 10:48pm CDT

10 National League teams have free agent arbitration offer decisions to make today, and we'll update them in this post in advance of the 11pm central time deadline. For a fantastic customizable chart with all 57 Type A/B free agents and their teams' decisions in real-time, click here.

Updated team decisions:

The Giants won't offer arbitration to Pat Burrell (B) or Cody Ross (B) according to John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter). Carlos Beltran (A) contractually cannot be offered arbitration.
The Dodgers declined to offer Hiroki Kuroda (B) arbitration, according to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times (on Twitter). Rod Barajas (B) already signed with the Pirates.
The Pirates offered arbitration to Derrek Lee (B) while declining to offer Ryan Ludwick (B) and Chris Snyder (B) arbitration. Ryan Doumit (B) already signed with the Twins.
The Phillies did not offer Roy Oswalt (A) or Brad Lidge (B) arbitration, according to the AP (via ESPN). The team announced that it offered arbitration to Raul Ibanez (B), Ryan Madson (A, will not cost signing team a draft pick), and Jimmy Rollins (A), according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com (via Twitter).
The Cubs offered arbitration to Carlos Pena (B) and Aramis Ramirez (B) but not to Kerry Wood (B), according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
The Cardinals offered Edwin Jackson (B) and Albert Pujols (A) arbitration, but declined to make offers to Rafael Furcal (B) and Arthur Rhodes (B), according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). That leaves Octavio Dotel (modified B, no arbitration offer necessary).
The Mets offered Jose Reyes (A) arbitration, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff (on Twitter).
The Padres will offer arbitration to Heath Bell (A, will not cost signing team a draft pick) and Aaron Harang (B), tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com.
The Brewers offered Prince Fielder (A) and Francisco Rodriguez (A, will not cost signing team a draft pick) arbitration. They declined to offer Yuniesky Betancourt (B) arbitration. Takashi Saito (A), contractually cannot be offered arbitration.
The Braves did not offer arbitration to Alex Gonzalez (B), according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Teams with automatic decisions only:

Reds: Francisco Cordero (modified B, no arbitration offer necessary), Ramon Hernandez (modified B, no arbitration offer necessary)
Astros: Clint Barmes (B, already signed with Pirates)
Rockies: Mark Ellis (B, already signed with Dodgers)

Los Angeles Notes: Kuroda, Wilson, Dipoto, Colletti

By Mark Polishuk | November 18, 2011 at 7:50pm CDT

Here's the latest from the City Of Angels (And Dodgers)….

Ned Colletti wants to bring back Hiroki Kuroda next season, but isn't sure if the Dodgers can afford him or if Kuroda will return to Japan, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles.
The Dodgers' major offseason moves could be wrapping up but Jerry Dipoto's first offseason as Angels GM is just beginning, writes Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times.
From that same piece, DiGiovanna notes the club will look at "second-tier starters" like Kuroda, Aaron Harang, Jeff Francis, Bruce Chen and Roy Oswalt. Kuroda, Harang and Francis are also known to be on the Dodgers' list of pitching options.
Of bigger-name starters, the Angels have been connected to C.J. Wilson this winter, but Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles wonders if the Angels' courtship of Wilson just a "smokescreen" intended to drive up Wilson's price for the Rangers. I'm not sure this tactic would specifically work on the Rangers given how they seem prepared to let Wilson leave if his price gets too high, but it could force one of Wilson's several other suitors to up their offer.

Dodgers Prefer Kuroda, Harang, Capuano, Francis

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 17, 2011 at 1:26pm CDT

The Dodgers have narrowed their search for starting pitching, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times (on Twitter). Free agents Hiroki Kuroda, Aaron Harang, Chris Capuano and Jeff Francis top the Dodgers' list, according to DiGiovanna.

Jon Heyman of SI.com lists the same four pitchers as possible targets and says on Twitter that the Dodgers have less than $10MM to spend (MLB.com's Ken Gurnick listed the four possibilities yesterday). It's looking less likely that GM Ned Colletti will obtain a big bat from outside of the organization.

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw won the 2011 NL Cy Young Award today.

Angels Pursuing Wilson, Eyeing Kuroda

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 17, 2011 at 12:45pm CDT

The Angels are looking for rotation depth and bullpen help under new GM Jerry Dipoto. Here's the latest on their search for pitching…

C.J. Wilson will visit the Angels Monday, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. The free agent left-hander has serveral similar visits in the works with other teams. Dipoto acknowledged this week that there's mutual interest between the Angels and Wilson.
The Angels have a bit of interest in Hiroki Kuroda, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). Heyman says Kuroda will return to Japan if he can't stay in Los Angeles.

Quick Hits: Phillips, Kuroda, Ortiz, Wood, Counsell

By Luke Adams 2 | November 15, 2011 at 10:39pm CDT

It's been a busy first day of the GM meetings, but we don't want to let anything fall through the cracks. Here's a collection of assorted links from throughout the day:

The Reds don't intend to make Brandon Phillips available in a trade, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.
Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers confirms a rumor we'd heard about previously, telling MLB.com's Ken Gurnick that his team has interest in Hiroki Kuroda.
The Red Sox aren't the only team meeting with David Ortiz's agent tonight. Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe tweets that the Orioles will also meet with Fern Cuza, and could be interested in Ortiz as well. GM Dan Duquette noted that Cuza also represents Vladimir Guerrero, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
Former Angels pitching coach Marcel Lachemann has rejoined the team as an assistant to new GM Jerry Dipoto, says Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times.
Earlier this week, we heard the Angels were eyeing right-handed relief help. DiGiovanna has more details on their search, naming Octavio Dotel, Todd Coffey, and Matt Capps as some possible targets.
Cubs GM Jed Hoyer will explore the possibility of bringing back Kerry Wood, says MLB.com's Carrie Muskat.
At U.S.S. Mariner, Dave Cameron explains why he doesn't think the Mariners should open their wallets to sign Prince Fielder.
Craig Counsell is open to both playing and "non-playing" offers, tweets Tom Haudicourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Counsell isn't necessarily leaning toward retirement, but would seriously consider it for the right non-playing opportunity.

D’Backs Rumors: Saunders, Kuroda, Buehrle

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | November 14, 2011 at 11:13am CDT

The Diamondbacks continued their aggressive offseason approach over the weekend, agreeing to terms with Aaron Hill on a two-year deal. The club will now search for pitching; here are the details:

You can add Roy Oswalt to the list of veteran starters that the Diamondbacks have at least some level of interest in, Piecoro tweets.
Joe Saunders, a non-tender candidate with a projected 2012 salary of $8.7MM, told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he hopes to return next year. Saunders, who prides himself on his ability to log innings and pitch deep into games, has averaged 200 innings per season since 2008.
The D'Backs appear to have interest in free agents Hiroki Kuroda and Mark Buehrle, according to Piecoro (on Twitter). Kuroda's name has come up as a possible fit for Arizona, but this is the first time we've seen the D'Backs connected to Buehrle
The D'Backs announced earlier today that they sold Kameron Mickolio to the Hiroshima Carp.

NPB Rumors: Aoki, Nakajima, Chen, Kuroda, Igawa

By Tim Dierkes | November 8, 2011 at 9:22am CDT

Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker has scoured Japanese newspapers for the latest rumors.

Yakult center fielder Norichika Aoki has asked to be posted. Aoki hit .292/.358/.360 in 643 plate appearances in 2011. Newman wrote last year that Aoki was "the best pure hitter Japan has produced since Ichiro," but that was before his numbers dropped off significantly in 2011. Despite great range, Newman thought last year that Aoki's weak arm could limit him to left field in MLB.
Seibu shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima will again ask to be posted this offseason. Nakajima was denied that request last winter, though the Orioles and Mariners were reportedly among the interested teams. The 29-year-old hit .297/.354/.433 with 16 home runs in 633 plate appearances this year. Newman considered Aoki Japan's second-best hitter in his August 2010 article.
Chunichi southpaw Wei-Yin Chen was 50/50 on moving to MLB as of October 26th. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports dubbed Chen a "likely free agent" in a report this morning. The 26-year-old posted a 2.68 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, and 0.49 HR/9 in 164 2/3 innings this year. He's represented by Alan Nero of Octagon.
The Hiroshima Carp have an offer out to Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda said he's happy to have received the offer from his former team. His plans for 2012 remain unknown though.
Multiple Japanese teams have interest in Kei Igawa, who reached free agency after his five-year deal with the Yankees expired.

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