Yankees avoid arbitration with Logan, finalize deal with Kuroda
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Jan 26, 2012 
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Sorry, I’ve been on a plane for the past couple of hours while the Yankees wrapped up two more inevitable bits of business, avoiding arbitration with Boone Logan and officially signing Hiroki Kuroda. Logan was the final arbitration eligible player without a contract, and he’s reportedly getting $1.875 million this season. Kuroda’s signing has been known for almost two weeks, and to make room for him on the 40-man roster, Kevin Whelan was designated for assignment.
YANKEES SIGN RHP HIROKI KURODA
The New York Yankees today announced they have signed right-handed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year Major League contract.
Kuroda, 36, went 13-16 with a 3.07 ERA (202.0 IP, 69 ER) in 32 starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011, establishing career bests in wins, ERA, games started, innings pitched and strikeouts (161). With runners in scoring position, Kuroda held opponents to a .194 (30-for-155) batting average, the fifth-best mark in the National League. He was also fifth in the NL in road ERA, posting a 7-7 record and a 2.85 ERA (94.2 IP, 30 ER) in 15 starts away from Dodger Stadium.
“I feel happy to be a part of such a storied franchise, which is always in contention for a World Series,” Kuroda said. “I am also very proud to be a part of this current team, which boasts so many great players. As a member of the Yankees, I would like to do my part by doing the best I can throughout the season. I hope that I can make a difference in achieving the team’s ultimate goal, which is to win the World Series.”
A native of Osaka, Japan, Kuroda has gone 41-46 with a 3.45 ERA in 115 career appearances (114 starts) over four Major League seasons with the Dodgers from 2008-11. He has made at least 30 starts and tossed more than 180.0 innings in three of his Major League campaigns (all but his injury-shortened season in 2009). Since the start of the 2008 season, the right-hander has averaged 2.10 walks per 9.0 IP, the third-lowest mark by a National Leaguer with at least 500.0 IP over the span, trailing only Dan Haren (1.64) and Ricky Nolasco (1.93).
Among all Japan-born pitchers ever to play in the Major Leagues, his 3.45 career ERA is the lowest all-time among pitchers who have made more than 12 career starts, while his 523 strikeouts rank fourth and his 41 wins are fifth. In 2011, he recorded the third-lowest single-season ERA (3.07) among Japanese-born pitchers to qualify for a Major League ERA title, behind only Hideo Nomo (2.54 in 1995) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (2.90 in 2008).
Originally signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on December 18, 2007, Kuroda spent 11 seasons (1997-2007) pitching for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Japanese Central League. In 271 appearances (244 starts) for the Carp, he went 103-89 with a 3.69 ERA (1,700.1 IP, 697 ER).
In a corresponding move, the Yankees designated RHP Kevin Whelan for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
YANKEES AVOID ARBITRATION WITH LHP BOONE LOGAN
The Yankees today announced that they have agreed with LHP Boone Logan on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, thus avoiding arbitration.
In 2011, Logan went 5-3 with a 3.46 ERA (41.2IP, 16ER) in 64 regular season appearances out of the bullpen. In three scoreless relief appearances in the ALDS vs. Detroit, he combined to strike out six of his eight batters faced (2.1IP, 1H, 0BB).
Originally selected by the White Sox in the 20th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Logan was acquired by the Yankees from Atlanta, along with RHP Javier Vazquez, in exchange for OF Melky Cabrera, LHP Mike Dunn and RHP Arodys Vizcaino on December 22, 2009.
Associated Press photos
From MLBT –
Gerardo Concepcion Close To Signing
By Dan Mennella [January 26 at 4:20pm CST]
Cuban left-hander Gerardo Concepcion, an 18-year-old free agent, is very close to signing with a team, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportes.com (story is in Spanish).
…
Earlier this week, Torres said the Rangers, Yankees, Cubs and White Sox have expressed the most interest in Concepcion so far.
Hope the Yanks got him
TRADE TARGETS
Chase Headley
Alex Gordon
Shin Soo Choo
Andre Ethier
Looks like Bautista is for real:
http://www.thestar.com/sports/.....wo-seasons
Kuroda is going to fit very nicely behind CC ….He’s a strike throwing machine who very seldom hurts himself….A very smart pitcher who sets a fast pace and flow …..Guys are going to love playing behind him……One of the dirtiest splitters you’re ever going to see, and can bring it up in the zone……This is and was the key to 2012′s success…..Pineda will pay huge dividends down the road…..But I’ll be clear on one Pineda item. he’ll win more games that Yu Darvish …..
I’m excited about the splitter…you don’t see too many of them in the AL East.
Pat M-
Like your enthusiasm. If Montero has a career like Piazza and Pineda is the right-handed versio of CC then both sides won.
Who was the first pitcher to throw splitter or a version of it?
Elroy Face
Roger Craig
Someone else?
Trader…..Elroy Face threw a forkball which was in essence a splitter….But it was Roger Craig who taught it to Bruce Sutter and Jack Morris ( I think )…..GB would know more because he played kick the can with both those guys
The forkball has been around long before Elroy Face. Freddie Martin is supposedly the one that taught the split finger to Bruce Sutter.
Yokoso, Kuroda-san!
Pat M. says:
January 26, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Trader…..Elroy Face threw a forkball which was in essence a splitter….But it was Roger Craig who taught it to Bruce Sutter and Jack Morris ( I think )…..GB would know more because he played kick the can with both those guys
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Thank goodness it wasn’t spin the bottle!
MLB tests those who had at some point tested positive more often than those who have been clean.
Remember when ARod caused all kinds of reporters falling over themselves (prior to his admission) when he said how often he got tested? EVERY reporter was saying that they only test players frequently like that when there has been a positive in the past.
So, why is it that Pujols and Bautista are being tested so often?
I don’t like what I hear about Ethier’s defense. Headley sounds intriguing.
But right now it sounds we need a DH/3B option more than a young OF.
Better hope that he Kuroda Dragon (stolen from a friend) doesn’t turn into The Corroded Dragon.
The forkball is a pitch whose history goes back to the early part of the last century. The splitter is a newer development. According to the Neyer/James history, the splitter was “invented by Fred Martin, perfected by Bruce Sutter in the late 1970s, and popularized by Roger Craig in the early ’80s.”
Hey GB7… didn’t Satchel throw all kinds of breaking pitches? From his own descriptions of his pitches it seems he was another one who threw the fork or splitter. Paige had different names for his pitches than we are used to, but in the descriptions of the type of movement it sounds like he did throw it or something similar.
GB……You’re going to like Kuroda in Pinstripes, as he’s just here for 2012 which will buy some time so there’s no panic and rush guys up the Deagan too soon…
Yogi Mantle January 26th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
Hey GB7… didn’t Satchel throw all kinds of breaking pitches? From his own descriptions of his pitches it seems he was another one who threw the fork or splitter. Paige had different names for his pitches than we are used to, but in the descriptions of the type of movement it sounds like he did throw it or something similar.
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I think Ol’ Satch threw everything, including his powerful, paralyzing, poifect, pachydoimous, percussion pitch
GB, this is true. lol. To think he learned to pitch by throwing rocks.
a great book for the history of baseball innovations is “a game of inches”, by peter morris.
in it, he credits martin with showing the pitch to bruce sutter, who claims it saved his career. he was stuck in the cubs minor league system, and primed for release, when he picked it up. two years later he was in the majors, and four years won the cy young award. sutter claims that he and martin showed it to roger craig, who the had the staff of the sf giants in the 80s learn the pitch.
Pat M. January 26th, 2012 at 7:04 pm
GB……You’re going to like Kuroda in Pinstripes, as he’s just here for 2012 which will buy some time so there’s no panic and rush guys up the Deagan too soon…
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I’d settle for a Garcia of 2011 season from Kuroda. what I really want is to see a healthy Phil Hughes actually get a chance this year, even if it means trading Garcia and putting Burnett in the pen.
GB…..Ah one of the great movies of all time ” The Great Escape ” is on in HD……
Hopefully Hughes will make it tough for the Yankees and force them to make tough decisions. .
the yanks know what they want to do with the 5th starter…..if aj and hughes are lights out in ST, who gets the nod?
of course one of them could be gone before or after ST, depending on who looks better upping their trade value.
Pat M. January 26th, 2012 at 7:30 pm
GB…..Ah one of the great movies of all time ” The Great Escape ” is on in HD……
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Just watched it a week or so ago, but, not in HD. Recommended James Garner movie is “36 hours”. great suspense movie placed in Germany just before the D-Day invasion. garner is an intelligence officer captured by the Germans and put in a hospital and then the deceit starts from there. Eva Marie Saint and Rod Taylor in it. Must see movie.
yanks usually have an agenda and not likely to decide at last minute
they did the same with Montero
GB….36 Hours, outstanding flick…Eva Marie Saint, oh yeah !!!
Pat, it was a great movie. A great bio-pick was “To Hell And Back”: The Audie L. Murphy Story. also a great book.
some clown on mlb is saying he would bring Mo in the 4th if needed.
***bio-pic***
jnorris427 Josh Norris
We have a 6-foot-11 girl playing HS ball around here. I have nicknamed her both Meg Oden and Manute Belle.
non-roster invitees, so far.
# Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
Hideki Okajima L-L 6’1″ 195 Dec 25, 1975
# Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
Gustavo Molina R-R 6’1″ 245 Feb 24, 1982
PeterBotte
Just learned that Robert Hegyes who played Epstein on Welcome Back Kotter, has died. I found out in a note from Epstein’s Mother.
Whelan was 1/3 of the Sheffield trade.
We got about 6 innings of pitching from that deal. That’s what you get for a salary dump.
What you don’t get is Shin Soo Choo.
“# Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
Gustavo Molina R-R 6’1? 245 Feb 24, 1982″
Anyone wanna b…
… nevermind.
Ahh, the fake Molina.
Jonathan Mayo is MLB.com’s Draft and prospect expert ranked Jose Campos as the Yankees 4th best prospect behind Banuelos, Betances and Sanchez. http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com...../#list=nyy.
On the surface this looks pretty good for the Yankees but unfortunately he ranked Andrew Brackman 9th which kind of makes me wonder how on top of things he is.
“Jonathan Mayo is MLB.com’s Draft and prospect expert ranked Jose Campos as the Yankees 4th best prospect behind Banuelos, Betances and Sanchez. http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com…../#list=nyy.”
“He has the ceiling of a No. 2 or very good No. 3 starter.”
Whenever I see a something like this (declaring the “ceiling” of a 19 year old”) I can’t help but feel all of these guys are trying too hard to justify their job. Like their educated guesses are somehow more than that.
“Whenever I see a something like this (declaring the “ceiling” of a 19 year old”) I can’t help but feel all of these guys are trying too hard to justify their job. Like their educated guesses are somehow more than that.”
I doubt their bosses would like them saying…..men he’s 19…..I have no idea…..
Stuckey….Campos’s name came up a few days back during a 19th hole session and an Angel scout who watched him pitch quite a bit last summer said that he could see Campos easily being a callup by 2014……He has the goods …..Not sure how Cashman managed to pry him away but thinks being Noesi is rotation ready Cashman was able to pull it off….Jack Z was told no to Hughes & Nova, well at least that’s what is being mentioned now………He thinks clubs will be pitching Montero up and in to expand his down and away weakness on the soft stuff….
Montero was prone to off speed breaking balls off the plate. I said last year his ultimate success will be learning to lay off it. So do and some don’t. He does have a short stroke which helps him wait.