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Hiroki Kuroda

Tigers Interested In Hiroki Kuroda

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The Tigers have some interest in Hiroki Kuroda, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). However, it's not clear whether the Dodgers would part with Kuroda or whether the right-hander would accept a trade to Detroit. The Dodgers aren't ready to sell and Kuroda, who is drawing lots of interest, will likely require compensation to accept a trade.

The 36-year-old has a 2.90 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and a 43.9% ground ball rate in 108 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. He earns an $8MM salary, so he'll still be owed $2.7MM at the July 31st trade deadline. Kuroda, whose contract expires after the season, projects as a Type B free agent this offseason.

Improving the rotation is a priority for the Tigers. They just demoted Phil Coke from the rotation and Charlie Furbush will take his place tonight when he makes his first MLB start.

Dodgers Not Ready To Sell

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Even though the Dodgers find themselves in the cellar of the NL West, GM Ned Colletti says that it's too early to go into selling mode, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.

"We haven't been healthy all year, but I still don't think we've played as well as we can play," the GM said. "The next three-plus weeks, if we can show some of that, we might be adding people."

The Dodgers could draw interest from contenders in players such as Hiroki Kuroda and Jamey Carroll.  Kuroda is in the middle of yet another strong season, posting at ERA of 2.90 with 6.7 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.  Carroll, meanwhile, is hitting .300/.370/.365 and can play a number of positions.  The Rockies are believed to be interested in Carroll, but Colletti said that he'd have to feel very confident about the return in order to trade within the division.

Dodgers Have Not Had Serious Talks About Kuroda

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Despite interest from several teams, the Dodgers have not had any serious trade discussions about right-hander Hiroki Kuroda according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Morosi notes that tomorrow's start against the Angels will give teams a chance to evaluate Kuroda against an AL lineup.

Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers is said to hold the 36-year-old righty in high regard, and team ownership recently said they'll be able to take on payroll at the deadline. Kuroda will require compensation to waive his no-trade clause, though it's unclear exactly what kind of compensation he's looking for. The Reds and Rockies scouted his most recent start, and Morosi reminds us that the Yankees are always lurking.

Kuroda has a stellar 3.10 ERA through 101 2/3 innings this year, and his strikeout (6.8 K/9) and walk rates (2.5 BB/9) are right in line with his career norms. He is getting fewer ground balls in 2011 (44.6%) compared to the rest of his career (49.7%), so it's not surprising that he's giving up a career high 1.1 homers per nine innings.

Sherman On Yankees, Padres, Clippard

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Joel Sherman of the New York Post dishes all kinds of Yankees rumors today; let's check it out.

  • Yankees GM Brian Cashman admitted the team's weakness is left-handed pitching, but says, "I can't force it.  I can't make it happen if it is not there." Another Yankees official said that a lefty would help, "But I don't think it is live or die."  Sherman believes Wandy Rodriguez and Francisco Liriano might be the two best available southpaw starters, but both bring concerns.  Relief-wise they could go for the Marlins' Randy Choate or consider higher-priced names in August like Brian Fuentes and Mike Gonzalez.
  • In general, Cashman said he doesn't think he can trade for a starter better than Bartolo Colon or Phil Hughes or a reliever better than Rafael Soriano, and all three could be back in July.  According to Sherman, the Yankees "have shown no interest in high-cost veterans with dubious stuff such as the Brett Myers, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Edwin Jackson, Livan Hernandez, and Jason Marquis."
  • Hoping for the Yanks to acquire Jair Jurrjens or Derek Lowe?  We're not sure if either is available, but Sherman says "the Yankees' policy has become pretty much to run away from Atlanta pitching after having successful Braves hurlers blow up on them."
  • The Yankees would not offer an extension to Hiroki Kuroda, if the righty were to make that a condition of a trade.  We know Kuroda will require some form of compensation.
  • The Padres "want to get out in the market quickly" with relievers Heath Bell and Chad Qualls, writes Sherman.  The Yankees, however, prefer Mike Adams, who is considered much less available.
  • The Nationals are willing to trade setup man Tyler Clippard, but are looking for a center fielder and have their sights on B.J. Upton.

Kuroda Requires Compensation To Waive No-Trade

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Hiroki Kuroda is drawing interest from multiple teams, but acquiring the right-hander won't necessarily be as simple as out-bidding his other suitors. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported last Tuesday that the right-hander will require "some form of compensation" to waive his no-trade clause.

The Rockies and Reds are among the teams with some interest in Kuroda, who may be having his best season yet at age 36. He has a 3.10 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 44.6% ground ball rate in 101 2/3 innings this year. His $8MM salary could be an obstacle for clubs with limited flexibility; about $2.7MM will remain on the one-year deal at the end of July.

Many Clubs Showing Interest In Kuroda

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Multiple clubs are showing interest in Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Rockies and Reds had scouts at his most recent start.

The 36-year-old right-hander has a 3.10 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 101 2/3 innings for the Dodgers. His average fastball velocity (91.7 mph) and ground ball rate (44.6%) have dipped slightly so far in 2011. Kuroda earns an $8MM base salary this year and his full no-trade clause enables him to veto any deal. MLBTR's Dan Mennella examined Kuroda's free agent stock earlier this month.

Morosi hears from one executive who doubts the Dodgers will trade Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp, who are both under team control through 2012.

Rosenthal’s Full Count: Marlins, Wandy, Phillies, Rockies

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Ken Rosenthal has his lastest Full Count video up over at FOXSports.com. Let's go over the highlights:

  • If the Marlins make a managerial change, the most likely candidate would be Nationals' third base coach Bo Porter. Porter spent five years with the Marlins, and three as a Major League coach. Rosenthal wonders if the Nats would let him go to a division rival midseason, and if Porter would accept the job on an interim basis, knowing the Marlins ultimately want Ozzie Guillen. Porter turned down a similar offer last season.
  • Rosenthal asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman if he would consider trading for an ace, and Cashman replied, "I'm not Ruben Amaro," referring to the Phillies GM and his affinity for blockbuster trades. Rosenthal names Wandy Rodriguez as a potential target for New York, but says there could be a hangup since the Astros value Rodriguez as an ace, while the Yanks would view him as a back-of-the-rotation addition.
  • The Phillies are doing their due dilligence in looking for right-handed hitters and left-handed relievers, but are limited by payroll issues. They also don't currently have regular at-bats for any hitter they'd acquire. Rosenthal says someone like Ryan Spilborghs, making $2MM with the Rockies, is the type of hitter that would be appealing to Philadelphia.
  • The Rockies could be buyers or sellers, depending on their play over the next month. If they're buyers, they'll seek innings-eating pitchers (Rosenthal names Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers and the Twins' Kevin Slowey as possible targets), while if they sell they could look to move Huston Street, Ty Wigginton, and Aaron Cook.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Hiroki Kuroda

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Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda has established himself as a top-of-the-rotation starter in three-plus Major League seasons since coming over from Japan. With a respectable career strikeout rate (6.6 K/9), fine control (2.2 BB/9) and the ability to induce ground balls (roughly 50%), Kuroda should draw interest as one of the better pitchers in what looks to be a so-so class of free-agent hurlers this offseason, including C.J. Wilson, Edwin Jackson, Mark Buehrle, Chris Carpenter and Joel Pineiro.

Because of Kuroda's age, his seeming affinity for Los Angeles and the Dodgers' uncertain financial standing, it'll be interesting to see how his second foray into free agency in as many years plays out. Kuroda, who will turn 37 in February, signed a one-year, $12MM pact with the Dodgers in November 2010. I think that was a relatively modest deal considering Kuroda was coming off his best (and healthiest) season, but it did include a full no-trade clause, and Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reported that Kuroda didn't even entertain offers from other clubs before re-signing with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers probably won't be big spenders so long as they are being managed by MLB, and it's uncertain when the team will be sold. However, Kuroda has already shown a willingness to exchange cash (and perhaps years) for security. Assuming he remains happy in Los Angeles, I could see him taking a similar deal with the Dodgers this offseason. If he chooses to test the market, or if the team wishes to go in another direction, I think he could probably find a two-year deal at a similar annual salary, likely without the benefit of a blanket no-trade.

Of course, considering his age, there's always the chance Kuroda could simply call it a career or return to NPB, where a couple of clubs were reportedly interested in his services last offseason.

Odds & Ends: Shell, Kuroda, V-Mart, Okajima, Davies

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Links for Monday evening…

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com tweets that the Royals have signed reliever Steven Shell to a minor league deal. Shell, 27, had a 3.59 ERA in 72.2 innings with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate last season.
  • Troy Renck of The Denver Post lists the Cardinals, Phillies, and Rockies as some of the teams that were interested in Hiroki Kuroda before he re-signed with the Dodgers (Twitter link).  Kuroda, however, re-signed without fielding offers from other teams according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.
  • Add the Rangers to the list of teams showing interest in Victor Martinez says SI.com's Jon Heyman (via Twitter).
  • WEEI.com's Rob Bradford tweets that Hideki Okajima is subject to a normal arbitration calendar this offseason. In the past the Red Sox had to offer him a contract by November 20th.
  • Non-tender candidate Kyle Davies hopes to remain with the Royals, says MLB.com's Dick Kaegel. Davies hasn't heard anything from the team regarding his future.
  • Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports that Cliff Lee's agent Darek Braunecker is still unsure if he will attend this week's GM Meetings.
  • MLB.com's Jane Lee provides a list of power bat the Athletics could potentially pursue as free agents this offseason.
  • The Yankees don't believe that Derek Jeter will ultimately leave New York, but they're prepared for a long negotiation according to Heyman (Twitter link).
  • Meanwhile, Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com tweets that there is still no word whether or not Andy Pettitte will return to pitch in 2011.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak doesn't expect any roster moves at this week's meetings according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com says the team is growing more optimistic about re-signing Jake Westbrook, however (Twitter link).
  • Indians GM Chris Antonetti told Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer that it's too early in the offseason to tell whether his team's needs will be filled through trades or free agency.
  • MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith is on location at this week's GM Meetings in Orlando, and you can follow him on Twitter at @mlbtrorlando for the latest breaking news and analysis.
  • There is mutual interest between the Marlins and free agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski, reports Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. Capozzi says the team might not be able to afford him, though they could free up payroll space by dealing Dan Uggla. 
  • FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says that the Dodgers are looking to add power to their lineup, and James Loney is the player they're most most willing to trade. They would then turn around and sign one of the many power-hitting first baseman available on the free agent market.
  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson said that the first round of manager interviews includes one or two more candidates while the second round will consist of three or four candidates according to Andy Martino of The New York Daily News (all Twitter links). The second set of interviews could begin in Orlando this week, and Alderson said his father's death on Sunday will not slow things down.
  • ESPN's Jerry Crasnick profiles Giants GM Brian Sabean and the work that lies ahead following his team's World Series victory.
  • Joe Pawlikowski of River Ave. Blues looks at how signing Lee would impact the Yankees' future payroll. Meanwhile, Brian Cashman told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch that he doesn't expect to get any deals done this week.
  • Best of luck to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian. He's trading in the Blue Jays' beat for the Indians' beat.

Dodgers Re-Sign Hiroki Kuroda

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The Dodgers have re-signed right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year contract worth $12MM. The deal includes a full no-trade clause and an additional $500K in performance bonuses.

Kuroda, 36 in February, just wrapped up a three-year deal with the Dodgers that paid him $35.3MM. He's pitched to a 3.60 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 82 career starts (and one relief appearance) with LA, though 2010 was his best season yet: 3.39 ERA, 7.3 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 in 196.1 innings. Kuroda missed time with a shoulder strain, an oblique issue, and a concussion during his first two years in MLB, but he was healthy this season.

Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times reported the original agreement as well as the length of the contract. SI.com's Jon Heyman and FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal added the financial details (all four Twitter links).

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