Cubs Sign Kyuji Fujikawa for 2 years, $9.5 M

[RammyFanny]

Fujikawa, considered among the top closers in Nippon Pro Baseball over the last decade, toured the facilities of Arizona and the Chicago Cubs in the last week. He is expected to also visit with the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers, both of whom have expressed interest.

Fukijawa, 32, was 2-2 with 24 saves and a 1.32 ERA in 47 2/3 innings this season with Hanshin of the Japan Central League. Fujikawa is considered a power pitcher with a mid-90s mph fastball. He has averaged 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings in his career.

http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/2012/11/japanese-reliever-beginning-visits-to-big-league-clubs.html/

[sneakypower]

mojo's new favorite player

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Let's just skip to the part where we congratulate the front office for putting in a competitive bid but are thankful we didn't go nuts like the Dodgers.

[XZero771679666304]

Let's just skip to the part where we congratulate the front office for putting in a competitive bid but are thankful we didn't go nuts like the Dodgers.

 

No bidding. He's free to sign with whomever he wants.

[Guest]

Let's just skip to the part where we congratulate the front office for putting in a competitive bid but are thankful we didn't go nuts like the Dodgers.

 

As fun as it might be to try and direct every thread to the same narrative, how about we actually try to talk about the topic at hand for a bit on this one?

[Guest]

Let's just skip to the part where we congratulate the front office for putting in a competitive bid but are thankful we didn't go nuts like the Dodgers.

 

He's a free agent.

 

He's also a guy I've liked for a few years now, ever since rumors started that he could be posted. He would be a great addition to the pen.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Let's just skip to the part where we congratulate the front office for putting in a competitive bid but are thankful we didn't go nuts like the Dodgers.

 

As fun as it might be to try and direct every thread to the same narrative, how about we actually try to talk about the topic at hand for a bit on this one?

 

That *was* a comment on the topic at hand. If he's any good, the Dodgers will offer him 80 bajillion dollars and that's that.

[CUBZ99]

Unless he is cheap or they think they can trade him, it is hard to see how a 32 year old reliever who has never pitched in the majors would be the type of player Theo and Jed would sign. What range is he expected to sign for?

[Sammy Sofa]

mojo's new favorite player

 

So much denial whoosh.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Unless he is cheap or they think they can trade him, it is hard to see how a 32 year old reliever who has never pitched in the majors would be the type of player Theo and Jed would sign. What range is he expected to sign for?

 

The fact that both LA teams are showing interest suggests that it won't be cheap. A bidding war for a 32 year old closer is simply not in the cards for a team in the state which the Cubs are in.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If we could get him, we're starting to get into that fuzzy part of the offseason where optimism creeps in and everything looks .500ish. The bullpen truly was a huge reason why the Cubs were terrible last season.

[UMFan83]

And yet bullpens are a crapshoot so it doesn't really make sense to spend very much money there

[Hairyducked Idiot]

And yet bullpens are a crapshoot so it doesn't really make sense to spend very much money there

 

"Bullpens are a crapshoot" belongs back in the days when "ERA+ is the best way to measure a pitcher's performance" was also true.

[Guest]

Bullpens are subject to a lot of variance, but that doesn't mean that you don't pay any attention to them either. Especially since it sounds like Marmol may get dealt, the team should definitely be looking for some quality relief help. It's an easy and even relatively inexpensive way to keep from bleeding wins like they did last year. Plus there's a Maholm "add 'em and deal 'em" aspect to consider if they aren't going to be a relatively long term piece too. That doesn't mean find a reliever to give a Papelbon contract to, but it does mean that we might be a little too scarred from the Remlinger/Eyre type deals.

[Wheelimus]

We're basically in a buying lottery tickets mode with our payroll flexibility during a time of top to bottom rebuilding. This guy seems like as good of a risk as most other options.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I'm by no means opposed to signing this guy. However, if they are willing to pay what he's likely to cost, they better plan on making some bigger moves to win in the next three years or so. The guy's going to be 35 by the time Almora, Baez, Soler, et. al. even sniff their first cup of coffee.

[jersey cubs fan]

Let's just skip to the part where we congratulate the front office for putting in a competitive bid but are thankful we didn't go nuts like the Dodgers.

 

No bidding. He's free to sign with whomever he wants.

 

Which will be a bidding process.

[KingCubsFan]

If we could get him, we're starting to get into that fuzzy part of the offseason where optimism creeps in and everything looks .500ish. The bullpen truly was a huge reason why the Cubs were terrible last season.

Are we ignoring the offense?

[scarey]

I'm pretty pessimistic they will be able to land Fujikawa. Isn't this guy going to want a no trade clause? I know I wouldn't want to be shuffled around in a country I was unfamiliar with. I think he could end up being a reliable closer into his late 30's (like many late inning relievers), but I don't think the Cubs make sense for him.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

If we could get him, we're starting to get into that fuzzy part of the offseason where optimism creeps in and everything looks .500ish. The bullpen truly was a huge reason why the Cubs were terrible last season.

Are we ignoring the offense?

 

Not so much "ignoring" as "fantasizing that we get a competent CF and 3b, and that we don't put together possibly the worst bench conceivable out of the available parts."

 

The offense was 70 runs below average last year, and that included -25 from 3b (Vitters/Valbuena/Stewart), -16 from CF (Jackson/Campana/Byrd) and -15 from Joe "I got my job because of a hot ST" Mather. Plus another -25 from Koyie Hill/Soto/Clevenger.

 

If Castillo can hit a little bit, we magically decide to try to field average players at CF and 3b and don't do anything terminally stupid with the bench, we can have a pretty average offense.

[XZero771679666304]

If we could get him, we're starting to get into that fuzzy part of the offseason where optimism creeps in and everything looks .500ish. The bullpen truly was a huge reason why the Cubs were terrible last season.

Are we ignoring the offense?

 

Not so much "ignoring" as "fantasizing that we get a competent CF and 3b, and that we don't put together possibly the worst bench conceivable out of the available parts."

 

The offense was 70 runs below average last year, and that included -25 from 3b (Vitters/Valbuena/Stewart), -16 from CF (Jackson/Campana/Byrd) and -15 from Joe "I got my job because of a hot ST" Mather. Plus another -25 from Koyie Hill/Soto/Clevenger.

 

If Castillo can hit a little bit, we magically decide to try to field average players at CF and 3b and don't do anything terminally stupid with the bench, we can have a pretty average offense.

 

Finding a decent 3B is going to be a daunting task regardless of what the FO "magically decides to try" and do.

[Guest]

 

Finding a decent 3B is going to be a daunting task regardless of what the FO "magically decides to try" and do.

 

 

If Stewart's surgery helps him at all, a Stewart/Chavez platoon might get us in the neighborhood of 2 WAR.

[XZero771679666304]

 

Finding a decent 3B is going to be a daunting task regardless of what the FO "magically decides to try" and do.

 

 

If Stewart's surgery helps him at all, a Stewart/Chavez platoon might get us in the neighborhood of 2 WAR.

 

I might agree, but why platoon two left handed hitters?

[Guest]

 

Finding a decent 3B is going to be a daunting task regardless of what the FO "magically decides to try" and do.

 

 

If Stewart's surgery helps him at all, a Stewart/Chavez platoon might get us in the neighborhood of 2 WAR.

 

I might agree, but why platoon two left handed hitters?

 

 

BAH, I misread the page and totally spaced on Chavez being a lefty.

 

So Chavez and find some random lefty masher like Jeff Baker, I guess.

[Bull]

He is an asset that costs you nothing in terms of prospects. Why not?