The Kosuke Fukudome & Hiroki Kuroda Thread

[GORDO]

Fukudome wants a three year deal. Mainly so he can go home after three years and finish his career in Japan. It's not about the money.

 

If it's not about the money, why is he considering coming here in the first place?

 

It's always about the money.

[BigbadB]

So, San Diego will have an outfield of Giles, Fukudome and Bradley.

 

Cubs will have Soriano, I Don't Know and I Have No Idea.

 

Cool.

[1908]

Fukudome wants a three year deal. Mainly so he can go home after three years and finish his career in Japan. It's not about the money.

I'll believe that when I see it. Hideki had similar things to say when he initially signed with the Yankees. I doubt he returns to Japan after three years. He'll need a mandatory release clause in any deal less than six years to be a free agent anyway, although I suspect he'll get one.

[Mephistopheles]

I am not saying he will, I am saying he may like the option of doing so.

[David]

Bruce Miles is talking about some rather insane numbers, and I'm not sure it's that much beyond what we'll see.

 

The pursuit of Fukudome will be costly in terms of dollars, especially in light of the free-agent contracts given to Andruw Jones by the Dodgers and Torii Hunter by the Angels. It could end up costing the winning bidder up to $75 million over five years for Fukudome.

 

$15m per year for a guy who might wind up being nearly as good as Hideki Matsui someday, making considering more than Hideki makes right now. That would be some commitment.

 

I'm out. Let's find a cheaper option that can put up a respectable OBP for a fraction of the cost. This is what happens when Hendry is so public about his interest.

 

I don't think you can pin that on Hendry. It was the Hunter and Jones deals that screwed us here.

[Mephistopheles]

Fukudome wants a three year deal. Mainly so he can go home after three years and finish his career in Japan. It's not about the money.

 

If it's not about the money, why is he considering coming here in the first place?

 

It's always about the money.

 

Testing himself against the best players in his sport?

[1908]

I am not saying he will, I am saying he may like the option of doing so.

That reads a lot less absolute than your first statement. I suspect he'd like that option too. Haven't read anything that suggests he's going to insist on it, though. Have you?

[Mephistopheles]

Yeah my first one was misleading. No I haven't.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Fukudome wants a three year deal. Mainly so he can go home after three years and finish his career in Japan. It's not about the money.

 

If it's not about the money, why is he considering coming here in the first place?

 

It's always about the money.

 

Testing himself against the best players in his sport?

Then shouldn't he sign with an AL Team?

[Mephistopheles]

Fukudome wants a three year deal. Mainly so he can go home after three years and finish his career in Japan. It's not about the money.

 

If it's not about the money, why is he considering coming here in the first place?

 

It's always about the money.

 

Testing himself against the best players in his sport?

Then shouldn't he sign with an AL Team?

 

heh, npb may be on par with the nl relative to the al next year and im not kidding.

[jersey cubs fan]

I am not saying he will, I am saying he may like the option of doing so.

That reads a lot less absolute than your first statement. I suspect he'd like that option too. Haven't read anything that suggests he's going to insist on it, though. Have you?

 

I think he'd like that option, if only to use it as negotiating leverage for his next deal.

[anabiono]

so, instead of being stupid and throwing all of this money at this guy...

 

why don't we go after another starter...oh i don't know...silva...and make it so marquis and not dempster is our number 5 man...

 

then we can keep murton and just go with pie...

 

because to spend all of this money on an unknown and go into the season with the rotation we currently have is not going to work...

[jersey cubs fan]

so, instead of being stupid and throwing all of this money at this guy...

 

why don't we go after another starter...oh i don't know...silva...and make it so marquis and not dempster is our number 5 man...

 

then we can keep murton and just go with pie...

 

because to spend all of this money on an unknown and go into the season with the rotation we currently have is not going to work...

 

Cubs need offensive help much more than they need 5th starter help.

[CuseCubFan69]

we should have just thrown ~8 million to milton bradley.

 

Hendry gets on these tangents and it just screws up good common sense moves like getting Bradley.

[anabiono]

so, instead of being stupid and throwing all of this money at this guy...

 

why don't we go after another starter...oh i don't know...silva...and make it so marquis and not dempster is our number 5 man...

 

then we can keep murton and just go with pie...

 

because to spend all of this money on an unknown and go into the season with the rotation we currently have is not going to work...

 

Cubs need offensive help much more than they need 5th starter help.

 

i don't necessarily disagree, but are you honestly confident in the starting rotation right now?

 

fukudome isn't going to win games all by his little old self you know

[jersey cubs fan]

so, instead of being stupid and throwing all of this money at this guy...

 

why don't we go after another starter...oh i don't know...silva...and make it so marquis and not dempster is our number 5 man...

 

then we can keep murton and just go with pie...

 

because to spend all of this money on an unknown and go into the season with the rotation we currently have is not going to work...

 

Cubs need offensive help much more than they need 5th starter help.

 

i don't necessarily disagree, but are you honestly confident in the starting rotation right now?

 

fukudome isn't going to win games all by his little old self you know

 

Neither is Silva. And yes, I am confident in all the resources the Cubs currently have available to fill out the rotation.

[anabiono]

so, instead of being stupid and throwing all of this money at this guy...

 

why don't we go after another starter...oh i don't know...silva...and make it so marquis and not dempster is our number 5 man...

 

then we can keep murton and just go with pie...

 

because to spend all of this money on an unknown and go into the season with the rotation we currently have is not going to work...

 

Cubs need offensive help much more than they need 5th starter help.

 

i don't necessarily disagree, but are you honestly confident in the starting rotation right now?

 

fukudome isn't going to win games all by his little old self you know

 

Neither is Silva. And yes, I am confident in all the resources the Cubs currently have available to fill out the rotation.

 

all i am saying is that silva moving from the AL to the NL is going to be loads better than dempster in the rotation...why not make a push for that and then see if we could swing some sort of hamilton deal instead...

[abuck1220]

because the cubs need offense.

[1908]

I am not saying he will, I am saying he may like the option of doing so.

That reads a lot less absolute than your first statement. I suspect he'd like that option too. Haven't read anything that suggests he's going to insist on it, though. Have you?

I think he'd like that option, if only to use it as negotiating leverage for his next deal.

Of course he would. It takes nine years for a player to qualify for free agency in Japan. But we're still guessing here -- an educated guess that feels right, but still a guess. He might happily sign a 4-, 5-, or 6-year deal after all.

[UMFan83]

The folks at Gas Lamp Ball certainly aren't big fans of the Cubs interest in Fukudome right now. Look at some of their quotes:

 

Fukudome would be awesome. It's great to hear Sandy say they made him a big offer...but the morons running the Cubs seem to be clueless about market value. If they really are offering him upwards of $15 mil...we are ****.

 

I feel fairly optimistic-- which, for me, the Dr. Perry Cox of gaslampball.com, translates loosely to "slightly less pessimistic than usual". Besides, who the hell wants to spend April, May, and September in Chicago? Or any other month, for that matter...

 

Chicago (and the majority of other cities, for that matter) is absolute crap compared to San Diego. Fukudome knows it, too.

 

this article talks about "the small budget padres HOPE that geography plays into the picture". i hate the cubs.

[CuseCubFan69]

this article talks about "the small budget padres HOPE that geography plays into the picture". i hate the cubs.

 

So is this the reason the Padres pay 50 cents on the dollar?

[WrigleyinEngland]

Glad i never visit that website i would be banned within seconds......

[David]

because the cubs need offense.

 

 

...He did say swing a deal for Hamilton instead. I'll give him that much. And that just might be a better option than throwing all this money at a 31 year old Japanese player.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Fukudome wants a three year deal. Mainly so he can go home after three years and finish his career in Japan. It's not about the money.

I'll believe that when I see it. Hideki had similar things to say when he initially signed with the Yankees. I doubt he returns to Japan after three years. He'll need a mandatory release clause in any deal less than six years to be a free agent anyway, although I suspect he'll get one.

Once they realize what kind of "tail" they can pull here in the US..they never want to go back.

[1908]

Chicago (and the majority of other cities, for that matter) is absolute crap compared to San Diego. Fukudome knows it, too.

Our last big fire was in 1871.