Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated is reporting that Hiroki Kuroda is unlikely to approve a trade that would send him to the Tigers or Indians. Sources tell Heyman that at this point it’s even “iffy” whether or not Kuroda would accept a deal to the Yankees or Red Sox, though it was reported earlier in the week that the right hander would in fact waive his no trade clause for New York or Boston.
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Tuesday, July 26th
Hiroki Kuroda has become a popular name among contenders looking for pitching help. According to reports, the Dodgers have been receiving plenty of calls lately from teams inquiring about Kuroda.
Since signing with the Dodgers out of Japan in 2007, Kuroda has made a very successful transition to Major League Baseball. Over his 4 seasons in the league, Kuroda has maintained an ERA of 3.52 with a 1.19 WHIP.
Although his record of 6 and 12 may not show it, Kuroda has had continued success in 2011. The right hander has an ERA of 3.19 over his 20 starts this season with a 2.94 SO/BB ratio.
Kuroda’s started over 30 games in two of his three seasons and is on pace to again reach that mark in 2011.
After his original 3 year $35.3 million deal expired last season, Kuroda resigned with the Dodgers in November for $12 million. However, the deal is different than most in that Kuroda’s making $8 million this season and the additional $4 million with be spread out over 2012-13.
Yesterday Ken Rosenthal reported that the Tigers, Indians and Rangers are the three teams that are ‘hottest’ on Kuroda. It’s also been reported that the right hander would agree to waive his no trade clause if he were presented with a trade to the Yankees or Red Sox.
But Kuroda has since come out and said that he hasn’t narrowed it down to those two teams. It doesn’t appear that the 36 year old is very interested in the rumor mill, and Jerry Crasnick says that Kuroda will decide on a deal when it’s presented to him. Kuroda isn’t giving lists of teams he wants to join or making demands to the Dodgers.
Even with their financial uncertainty, Los Angeles doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to deal their more expensive veterans. Still, with the way Kuroda’s deal is structured, the club could conceivably save about $6.5 million by moving him this summer.
Kuroda would also likely fetch decent return in a market full of clubs looking for pitching help. He’s shown consistency over his 4 seasons and should provide solid innings as teams head towards the playoffs.
For more on the Dodgers, be sure to check out Lasorda’s Lair.