Post by MizzouTiger on Dec 12, 2007 11:25:53 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/royals/story/399957.html
Royals want to make a pitch to Kuroda
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
All the Royals want from Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda is the chance to make their pitch before he makes a decision.
Even if that means a trip to Japan.
“I’ll tell you what, I’d go,” said manager Trey Hillman, who is just starting to unpack at his Austin, Texas, home from a five-year tour in Japan with the Nippon Ham Fighters.
“As much as I’d hate to travel again, I’d pack and go. We’d love to have him; he’d be a very nice addition to our rotation.”
The Royals remain committed to adding a veteran to their rotation and intend to concentrate on Kuroda before moving on to alternatives.
“We’re being aggressive,” owner David Glass said, “and we’re going to give it our best shot. If we miss on him, we’ll start working on whoever else is still out there. We’re determined to keep trying to improve.”
Kuroda, 32, is also drawing heavy interest from the Mariners, Dodgers and Diamondbacks. Various reports indicate all four teams have tendered three-year offers from $30 million to $36 million.
It appears no team has yet offered a four-year deal, despite reports to the contrary, in part because Kuroda is now indicating he prefers the option of returning to Japan after 2010 to conclude his career.
The Mariners and Dodgers are generally characterized as the favorites, which is why the Royals are hoping for a face-to-face meeting.
If given the opportunity, the Royals hope to sell Kuroda on the merits of reuniting with reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta, a high school teammate, and pitching for a manager, Hillman, who understands Japanese players.
Kuroda once planned to make a quick trip to the United States to meet interested clubs, but that now seems on hold. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported he is now likely to make his decision in Japan.
The Royals continue to view Carlos Silva as the best free-agent alternative to Kuroda but appear unwilling to meet Silva’s price of four years for $40 million or more.
“If we don’t sign what we believe is an impact pitcher,” general manager Dayton Moore said, “we might be better off just creating as much flexibility as we can in our payroll going forward.”
Glass confirmed the Royals are willing to consider a veteran recovering from injuries on an incentive-based deal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER BASEBALL NEWS
•CONTRACT DEADLINE TONIGHT: The deadline for clubs to offer contracts to players is 11 tonight. Any player not offered a contract — “non-tendered” in baseball parlance — becomes a free agent.
Players not offered contracts are typically those who are eligible for arbitration because of the anticipated rise in salary. A club commits itself to arbitration by offering contracts to such players if the two sides fail to reach an agreement.
The Royals have 11 possible arbitration cases: outfielders Emil Brown and Mark Teahen; catcher John Buck; pitchers Jorge De La Rosa, Brandon Duckworth, Jimmy Gobble, Jack Greinke and Luke Hudson; and infielders Esteban German, Ross Gload and Jason Smith.
•PAVANO ASKED TO DROP: Carl Pavano was asked by the New York Yankees to accept a minor-league contract and come off their big-league roster.
A $39.95 million bust since signing with the Yankees as a free agent before the 2005 season, Pavano had rotator cuff surgery June 5. New York is not counting on him to be available next year.
Hampered by shoulder, back, elbow and rib injuries, Pavano went 5-6 in 19 starts with the Yankees.
•WOLF, PADRES GET DEAL DONE: Randy Wolf will get a nice payday if he can make 30 starts and pitch 200 innings for San Diego.
Wolf, coming off shoulder surgery in September, finalized a one-year deal that will top out at $9 million if he reaches all his incentives.
Wolf was 9-6 with a 4.23 ERA in 18 starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past season. He didn’t pitch after July 3 because of soreness in his left shoulder.
•NEW COOK CONTRACT: Pitcher Aaron Cook finalized a new contract with the Colorado Rockies that guarantees him an additional $30 million over three seasons.
Cook already was set to earn $4.5 million next year under an option the Rockies exercised in October.
His new deal adds a $2.5 million signing bonus and salaries of $8.75 million in 2009, $9 million in 2010 and $9.25 million in 2011.
Royals want to make a pitch to Kuroda
By BOB DUTTON
The Kansas City Star
All the Royals want from Japanese pitcher Hiroki Kuroda is the chance to make their pitch before he makes a decision.
Even if that means a trip to Japan.
“I’ll tell you what, I’d go,” said manager Trey Hillman, who is just starting to unpack at his Austin, Texas, home from a five-year tour in Japan with the Nippon Ham Fighters.
“As much as I’d hate to travel again, I’d pack and go. We’d love to have him; he’d be a very nice addition to our rotation.”
The Royals remain committed to adding a veteran to their rotation and intend to concentrate on Kuroda before moving on to alternatives.
“We’re being aggressive,” owner David Glass said, “and we’re going to give it our best shot. If we miss on him, we’ll start working on whoever else is still out there. We’re determined to keep trying to improve.”
Kuroda, 32, is also drawing heavy interest from the Mariners, Dodgers and Diamondbacks. Various reports indicate all four teams have tendered three-year offers from $30 million to $36 million.
It appears no team has yet offered a four-year deal, despite reports to the contrary, in part because Kuroda is now indicating he prefers the option of returning to Japan after 2010 to conclude his career.
The Mariners and Dodgers are generally characterized as the favorites, which is why the Royals are hoping for a face-to-face meeting.
If given the opportunity, the Royals hope to sell Kuroda on the merits of reuniting with reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta, a high school teammate, and pitching for a manager, Hillman, who understands Japanese players.
Kuroda once planned to make a quick trip to the United States to meet interested clubs, but that now seems on hold. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported he is now likely to make his decision in Japan.
The Royals continue to view Carlos Silva as the best free-agent alternative to Kuroda but appear unwilling to meet Silva’s price of four years for $40 million or more.
“If we don’t sign what we believe is an impact pitcher,” general manager Dayton Moore said, “we might be better off just creating as much flexibility as we can in our payroll going forward.”
Glass confirmed the Royals are willing to consider a veteran recovering from injuries on an incentive-based deal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER BASEBALL NEWS
•CONTRACT DEADLINE TONIGHT: The deadline for clubs to offer contracts to players is 11 tonight. Any player not offered a contract — “non-tendered” in baseball parlance — becomes a free agent.
Players not offered contracts are typically those who are eligible for arbitration because of the anticipated rise in salary. A club commits itself to arbitration by offering contracts to such players if the two sides fail to reach an agreement.
The Royals have 11 possible arbitration cases: outfielders Emil Brown and Mark Teahen; catcher John Buck; pitchers Jorge De La Rosa, Brandon Duckworth, Jimmy Gobble, Jack Greinke and Luke Hudson; and infielders Esteban German, Ross Gload and Jason Smith.
•PAVANO ASKED TO DROP: Carl Pavano was asked by the New York Yankees to accept a minor-league contract and come off their big-league roster.
A $39.95 million bust since signing with the Yankees as a free agent before the 2005 season, Pavano had rotator cuff surgery June 5. New York is not counting on him to be available next year.
Hampered by shoulder, back, elbow and rib injuries, Pavano went 5-6 in 19 starts with the Yankees.
•WOLF, PADRES GET DEAL DONE: Randy Wolf will get a nice payday if he can make 30 starts and pitch 200 innings for San Diego.
Wolf, coming off shoulder surgery in September, finalized a one-year deal that will top out at $9 million if he reaches all his incentives.
Wolf was 9-6 with a 4.23 ERA in 18 starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past season. He didn’t pitch after July 3 because of soreness in his left shoulder.
•NEW COOK CONTRACT: Pitcher Aaron Cook finalized a new contract with the Colorado Rockies that guarantees him an additional $30 million over three seasons.
Cook already was set to earn $4.5 million next year under an option the Rockies exercised in October.
His new deal adds a $2.5 million signing bonus and salaries of $8.75 million in 2009, $9 million in 2010 and $9.25 million in 2011.