Igawa: Yankees rights with $25M bid

[TheDude]

Lots of Japanese players have been discussed over the last two weeks. Thought I would throw out one more.

 

link

 

Igawa has not yet been posted. But he is a fairly young guy (27) and appears to be viewed as a cheaper fall-back option to Matsuzaka.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think there is a drop off between the talent of Matsuzaka and Igawa.

[TheDude]

I think there is a drop off between the talent of Matsuzaka and Igawa.

 

Wouldn't this be true for any of the names discussed? I think the idea would be fishing for a back-of-the-rotation starter at a cheaper price that might surprise and be better than expected.

[goonys evil twin]

I think there is a drop off between the talent of Matsuzaka and Igawa.

 

Wouldn't this be true for any of the names discussed? I think the idea would be fishing for a back-of-the-rotation starter at a cheaper price that might surprise and be better than expected.

 

I don't know anything about him, but I'm all for getting a value guy here somewhere. If you get one stud and one second tier guy, he might be it. But by the sounds of it, he might be more like a third tier kind of guy.

[TheDude]

I don't know a much about him, but I know he is not a power pitcher. He relies on changing speeds a lot and moving around the strike zone.

 

He has a career era of 3.15 in 7+ seasons and has averaged right around 28 starts and 200 innings for 5 straight years.

 

I don't know how well strike out totals translate, but he threatens 200 Ks each year, and crossed it a few times, which means his career K/innings ratio is just under 1 in Japan.

 

I did find it interesting that 2001-2003 were stellar years for him, but 2004-2005 were off-years. 2006 saw a return to those earlier numbers.

[b_wiggy_66]

I've heard him likened to Kaz Ishii. That is not a good thing in my opinion.

[TheDude]

I should have also noted he is a left-handed pitcher.

 

I've heard him likened to Kaz Ishii. That is not a good thing in my opinion.

 

Ishii wasn't terrible his first two seasons. he was slightly better-than-average with a walks and pitch count issue that spiraled out of control the last two years.

 

Igawa's Japanese numbers indicate better control than Ishii, with an average of 55 walks per year for the last five years (remembering around 200 IP per year).

[1908]

I've heard him likened to Kaz Ishii. That is not a good thing in my opinion.

Because he's a lefty and Japanese? Ishii's control issues in Japan (4.43 BB/9) were amplified in MLB. Igawa's got much better control (2.86 BB/9).

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Igawa is expected to be posted once the mad rush over Matzusaka is over. The Braves are supposed to be the leading contender.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Ishii wasn't terrible his first two seasons. he was slightly better-than-average with a walks and pitch count issue that spiraled out of control the last two years.

 

Ishii also wasn't good his first 2 seasons. Terrible is a very subjective term, I guess.

[BigbadB]

Igawa is expected to be posted once the mad rush over Matzusaka is over. The Braves are supposed to be the leading contender.

 

Doesn't the leading contender change once it's determined which teams lost out on Matsuzaka?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Igawa is expected to be posted once the mad rush over Matzusaka is over. The Braves are supposed to be the leading contender.

 

Doesn't the leading contender change once it's determined which teams lost out on Matsuzaka?

 

Will Matsuzaka losers turn to Igawa or Zito and Schmidt? I think the latter.

[BigbadB]

Will Matsuzaka losers turn to Igawa or Zito and Schmidt? I think the latter.

 

Do the Yankees have any shot at all at Schmidt or Zito? Both are rumored to prefer the left coast.

 

Wheelbarrows full of money tend to sway a person's decision, but I don't see it happening for those two. They'll get a wheelbarrow full of money no matter who they sign with.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Will Matsuzaka losers turn to Igawa or Zito and Schmidt? I think the latter.

 

Do the Yankees have any shot at all at Schmidt or Zito? Both are rumored to prefer the left coast.

 

Wheelbarrows full of money tend to sway a person's decision, but I don't see it happening for those two. They'll get a wheelbarrow full of money no matter who they sign with.

 

I think the Yankees have a legitimate shot at both. I'm not buying the west coast bias with either.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think the Yankees may focus efforts on Clemens and Pettitte if they lose out on Matsuzaka.

 

I also wouldn't rule out the Yankees trying to get their pitching through a trade.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Igawa is expected to be posted once the mad rush over Matzusaka is over. The Braves are supposed to be the leading contender.

 

Doesn't the leading contender change once it's determined which teams lost out on Matsuzaka?

 

It depends on if those teams that lost are interested in Igawa, though. Some might not. But yes, at this point, the Braves are the leading contender.

[BigbadB]

Where are the Yankees at right now?

 

Randy Johnson

Mike Mussina (most likely returning)

Carl Pavano

Jaret Wright

Shawn Chacon

Chin Meing Wang

Philip Hughes

 

 

You can pretty much pencil in Johnson, Mussina and Wang for rotation spots. Wright is making close to 8m a year to start. Pavano will make somewhere around that as well.

 

If they traded for Freddy Garcia on a Sheffield deal, it's crowded before they ever turn to Matsuzaka, Schmidt or Zito.

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Hughes better be in their rotation next year. If they don't get Matzusaka, I expect Hughes will be one of their top 2 starters.

[1908]

Gary Garland[/url]"]The electrifying and mystifying decision by Hiroshima ace Hiroki Kuroda to remain with the Carp has thrown Hanshin's plans to post lefthander Kei Igawa into chaos. Owner Tsuneaki Miyazaki is expressing misgivings now about allowing his ace to get away to MLB in the wake of the Kuroda news. A formal announcement was supposed to come out either Tuesday or Wednesday about the Igawa matter, but that has now been tabled.

[baseball7897]

Where are the Yankees at right now?

 

Randy Johnson

Mike Mussina (most likely returning)

Carl Pavano

Jaret Wright

Shawn Chacon

Chin Meing Wang

Philip Hughes

 

 

You can pretty much pencil in Johnson, Mussina and Wang for rotation spots. Wright is making close to 8m a year to start. Pavano will make somewhere around that as well.

 

If they traded for Freddy Garcia on a Sheffield deal, it's crowded before they ever turn to Matsuzaka, Schmidt or Zito.

 

Cancel out Chacon, Pavano, and Wright.

[questionmarkgrace]

Igawa does not seem to be anything more than a 4 or 5 starter. With all of the talk about him and Matsuzaka nobody seems to mention Saito as an option any more. Has any one heard any more about him? Based on the video I saw he was much better than igawa maybe a number 2 or 3 starter, just my oppinion though.

[rawaction]

Where are the Yankees at right now?

 

Randy Johnson

Mike Mussina (most likely returning)

Carl Pavano

Jaret Wright

Shawn Chacon

Chin Meing Wang

Philip Hughes

 

 

You can pretty much pencil in Johnson, Mussina and Wang for rotation spots. Wright is making close to 8m a year to start. Pavano will make somewhere around that as well.

 

If they traded for Freddy Garcia on a Sheffield deal, it's crowded before they ever turn to Matsuzaka, Schmidt or Zito.

 

Cancel out Chacon, Pavano, and Wright.

 

Especially Chacon, because he's in Pittsburgh! :D

[E.J.]

Igawa does not seem to be anything more than a 4 or 5 starter. With all of the talk about him and Matsuzaka nobody seems to mention Saito as an option any more. Has any one heard any more about him? Based on the video I saw he was much better than igawa maybe a number 2 or 3 starter, just my oppinion though.

 

This is the latest thing I can find about Saito. It's from Oct. 25th.

 

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20061026TDY20005.htm

 

Fukuoka Softbank Hawks ace Kazumi Saito dealt the latest blow to the postseason Japan-MLB all-star series, pulling out to have treatment on hisright shoulder, organizers announced Wednesday.

 

Last thing we'd need is another guy with shoulder problems. Doesn't say anything about the extent of his problem though.

[questionmarkgrace]

nevermind its diasuke or bust.

[1908]

Gary Garland[/url]"]Lefty Kei Igawa revealed that he got a signed bat from Atlanta centerfielder Andruw Jones in exchange for his uniform top. He also had lunch with Padres pitcher Chris Young and Yankees reliever Mike Myers, with the main topic of discussion being the differences between Japanese and major league baseball.

 

It also appears that the announcement of Igawa being given permission to leave via the posting system could now be as early as the 13th.