6-4-2 — an Angels/Dodgers double play blog: Instant, Not-Too-Well-Considered Opinion On The (If It's Real) Hiroki Kuroda Signing

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Instant, Not-Too-Well-Considered Opinion On The (If It's Real) Hiroki Kuroda Signing

Baseball Prospectus' Mike Plugh said that Hiroki Kuroda was one of the top-tier potential free agents this year. He signed a $10.6M deal last year to stay in Hiroshima, but it contained an out clause that could be exercised at any time, which he did.

He's not Daisuke Matsuzaka, but Kuroda a very strong power pitcher with a low to mid-90s fastball and a wicked forkball. In addition, he features a plus shuuto, something like a screwball, as well as an effective change. Even if he only pans out as a third or fourth starter in the majors, he will give you innings, work deep into games, and he should be fairly consistent start to start.

Kuroda pitched in a mild hitter's park, which should give the Dodgers some insurance that their new starter knows what it's like.

Operating without any kind of projections, and looking at his career stats, he's struck out about three times as many batters as he's walked (123 K/43 BB in 2007), though his overall strikeout rate is a bit low (6.16 K/9) and likely to go lower facing better competition — though maybe not, considering the talent drain from the NL to the AL. At 32, it's very likely his best years are behind him, so the Dodgers are paying a decent amount for a good but untested-in-the-majors pitcher. Nevertheless, if this keeps Colletti from trading Matt Kemp (and Mark Hendrickson out of the rotation), it's a reasonable deal.

Here's some video of a match against Hideki Matsui, and from the NPB All-Star Game.

Thanks to DT commenters Bob Timmermann and GMac in the 909 in today's thread for some of those links above.

Update: More from Jerry Crasnick, who writes

Several media outlets in Japan and Los Angeles have reported that Kuroda cancelled his U.S. visit and is leaning heavily toward signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But Kuroda's planned trip to California to meet with agent Steve Hilliard appears to indicate that he's not as far along in the process as the reports suggest.

Labels: dodgers, transactions