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JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

BASEBALL

Mariners sign free-agent pitcher Iwakuma

Sports Jan. 07, 2012 - 06:07AM JST ( 6 )

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6 Comments

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smithinjapanJan. 07, 2012 - 12:08PM JST

So how much was the contract worth? Did it satisfy Iwakuma's outrageous demands? Anyway, he'll be happy to play with his teammate Ichiro, I hope. What about the other dude that stated he would play ONLY for the Mariners? Nakajima?
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some14someJan. 07, 2012 - 01:58PM JST

So how much was the contract worth?

very little otherwise amount would have appeard in bold headlines.
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biculturalJan. 07, 2012 - 04:28PM JST

One year contract with $1.5 million guaranteed, with incentives based on how well he pitches. By the way, according to Iwakuma's own words, the reason why he didn't sign a 4-year deal with the A's wasn't because of the money. It was because the team didn't seem genuinely interested in him. It was a good strategy by the A's, because they got their posting bid back and prevented other teams from getting him.
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Patrick HattmanJan. 08, 2012 - 01:26AM JST

So how much was the contract worth? Did it satisfy Iwakuma's outrageous demands? Anyway, he'll be happy to play with his teammate Ichiro, I hope. What about the other dude that stated he would play ONLY for the Mariners? Nakajima?

Interest in Iwakuma after the '11 season was greatly reduced as compared to a year before. He only appeared in 17 games for Rakuten last year. I suspect that teams were concerned about his arm. It was probably better all around that Iwakuma didn't sign with the A's. If he has much left in the tank and can pitch adequately in MLB, he'll demonstrate it this year.

Munenori Kawasaki is the other Japanese invited to join Ichiro and try to earn a spot on the Nintendo Mariners roster. With some of the forgettable players the M's have had lately in the IF, Kawasaki might have a decent chance of playing a bit.

Hiroyuki Nakajima failed to reach a contract agreement with the Yankees. The posting fee was $2.5 million. My guess is that the Yanks probably only wanted to pay him about that amount for a 2-year deal for a 5 million investment overall. I haven't seen any details. Nakajima undoubtedly ran into the problem that in MLB he is viewed mostly as a versatile backup, rather than a star everday IF in NPB. He can make good money for a year with Seibu and then go where he wants in MLB after '12 as an FA, the same as Iwakuma this year.
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Clément DelestradeJan. 08, 2012 - 04:06AM JST

This signature just proves Iwakuma wasn't asking for a "Barry Zito" contract last year and people who could kept saying it all year long as a way to bash him should be ashamed of themselves.
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yaguraJan. 10, 2012 - 11:56AM JST

This signature just proves Iwakuma wasn't asking for a "Barry Zito" contract last year and people who could kept saying it all year long as a way to bash him should be ashamed of themselves

Don't think it proves or disproves any such thing. Personally, I don't think he had much to gain from another season at Rakuten so perhaps he just did some soul searching and decided that if he really wanted to play in the Majors than he would might just have to accept less. He was injured last season, didn't perform very well, so his stock dropped. Maybe he figured he better go and show what he can do while he's still capable because the opportunity might not come again. If he performs well and stays healthy, his next contract should pay him much more.

Seattle is typically ranked as one of the better cities to live in in the United States. Iwakuma has a family and perhaps he feels more comfortable (and safer) having them live in Seattle rather than Oakland. Also, the Mariners are owned by a Japanese company, Saefco Field is one of the better parks in the Majors, and he'll get to play with Ichiro. These probably played some role in his decision. He wouldn't be the first pro athlete to sacrifice salary when there are other 'intangibles' involved.

The only question is whether Seattle will win. They didn't do very well last season (they even finished 7 games behind the A's). Plus, the AL West got a lot tougher with both the Angles and Rangers adding big-name players. So the Mariners might not good enough even if Iwakuma pitches well. It's a lot more fun playing for a winning team than a losing team so hopefully he won't get discouraged if his team starts slowly.