Hiroki Kuroda, Yankees Agree on One-Year, $10M Deal

ESPN News is reporting that the New York Yankees and former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda have just agreed on a one-year deal worth a reported $10 million.

A person familiar with Kuroda’s signing told The Associated Press the deal, contingent on the 36-year-old passing a physical, also includes performance bonuses. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because there has not yet been an announcement.

Kuroda, who turns 37 in February, earned $12 million last season while posting a 3.07 ERA and 161/49 K/BB ratio over 202 innings. He has a 3.45 ERA since coming over to the United States four years ago.

The Yankees tried to acquire Kuroda at the deadline last year, but he wasn’t willing to waive his no-trade clause.

The common line of thinking after the season was that the veteran right-hander would either pitch in Los Angeles or return to his native Japan to pitch for the Hiroshima Carp, but he changed his stance after the Dodgers added Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang earlier this winter.

The Kuroda deal comes just on the heels of the Yankees’ blockbuster trade with the Seattle Mariners in order to acquire pitcher Michael Pineda.

In that trade, New York sent power-hitting catcher Jesus Montero, the organization’s top prospect, to Seattle for the hard-throwing Pineda, according to a person familiar with the deal. The source added that the swap also includes Yankee pitcher Hector Noesi and Seattle pitcher Jose Campos and is pending a physical.

Pineda, a 22-year-old righthander, was 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 171 innings in his rookie season with Seattle.

With the addition of Hiroki Kuroda and Michael Pineda, the New York Yankees have completely reconstructed their now suddenly deep rotation. Ace CC Sabathia will likely be followed by Pineda, Ivan Nova, Kuroda and then either Phil Hughes, A.J. Burnett or Freddy Garcia.

Source/Image: ESPN