The YES Network is reporting that the Yankees won the bidding, which I have to admit is very surprising. The official announcement from MLB and the Hanshin Tigers is expected at 8 p.m. In the meantime check out Kei Igawa's official Web site.
UPDATE: Just spoke to someone in the know and it sounds very likely the Yankees won the rights to Igawa with a bid "in the ballpark" of $25 million. This is a sealed process so there still could be a surprise, but it sounds good for the Yankees.
UPDATE II: Just posted this story on Newsday.com. I just spoke with a scout who has seen Igawa pitch multiple times through the years and it's safe to say he was blown away by the money the Yankees spent on this guy's rights. I'll post quotes soon...
Comments (16)
I say we still need to sign Lilly! And unload Pavano. Then we would have Wang, Lilly, Mussina, Igawa, and Johnson (or a kid). Lots of innings eaters which saves the overworked bullpen.
And, in 2008 Johnson will be replaced by Hughes, so it will be Wang, Lilly, Mussina, Igawa, and Hughes.
Hey, if the redsox can ask the lions to chip in money then mayb the yanks can ask Igawas teams to pay some of the contract so the bid goes down to say 15 million. Apparently rules are meant to be broken because the posting system is "a work in progress." The yanks probably just payed more for igawa than they would have payed for lilly for a guy that to me seems like he will be about the same caliber if not worse. I guess all those cashman is a genius comments will stop now. Thank god.
Here comes Hideki Irabu Part 2. I'm not too keen on Japanese Pitchers....
Kei Igawa Video vs Matsui -2001
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLSnX2bB_7I
Matsuzaka is Hideki Irabu Part 2 not Igawa - Redsox bid $51 million for him who has never been pitch in major before
Igawa = Kaz Ishii
http://www.k-igawa.com/
Kei Igawa Official Website- It's in japanese..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alFAftaJ7uk&mode=related&search=
Here's The Video of Igawa against Mlb Allstars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJj9_PSgboc
Igawa vs John Main of New york Mets.
I bet you Cashman is up to somethhing on his sleeve. I don't think He done's yet.
The Yankees still needs lefty reliever, catcher and another frontline starting pitcher.
DO you Cashman will trade Arod to Angels for Ervin Santana, Woods and Figgins?
Everyone Relax On The Bid
why is everyone so quick to say this guy will stink, he is 27, has a good curve, so he doesnt throw hard, he sounds like zito and lilly 89 90 fastball great curve. factor in luxury tax exemptions which will save us money, which is good, and that he is a younger lefty, everyone is talking like they watched him pitch more than once, which no one has, so he had a bad outing against a major league All-STAR team, if we kill every pitcher who had bad games occationally, then every pitcher that ever threw a ball would stink, and i dont care what david wright said about him, who gives a damn what he said, he faced him waht once maybe twice. His numbers were great, and let the league in strikeouts, so unless you are a japanese baseball scout, give it a rest, you dont know. And one more thing, for those of you who think we did this to retaliate against boston, you are fools, come on do you honestly think Cashman or any executive thinks like a third grader, if he worked that way, he would be pushing shopping carts in a week, I am a YANKEES fan, and support cash until i see otherwise, so unless someone this board lives in japane and has seaon tickets, you have no idea how good this guy can be, Cash must know a little something about putting a team together, he has never missed the play-offs.
I watched a couple of games this guy pitched while I was in Japan on business. I think he'll stink.
I hope I'm wrong, I really do.
Is it just me, or does this have Steinbrenner's fingerprints all over it? i.e. Boston outbids us for Matsuzaka, let's get another Japanese player....
That's a tough call. I don't care how much George has slowed down, he still remembers the "Fat Toad".
I hope the scouts saw something we didn't.
That's a good point, but as Steinbrenner has slowed down he's gotten even less reactionary; I'm thinking maybe this is a return to his old self.
What about thinking of it this way, and I'm usually a pragmatist but I'll play Devil's advocate and try to see the glass as half-full. He's 27, and is coming out of several strong Japanese seasons; high strikeouts, low ERA. Say the Japanese league is as good as Triple-A (I don't know in reality how good it is, probably better than Triple-A ball?). With stats and a track record like that, that would be grounds to bring up a minor leaguer.
Now from the Yankees' point of view, they're shelling out $25 million - a lot of money, but Steinbrenner can afford it. This amount doesn't go towards the pay roll, or towards luxury tax, etc. Then say they sign him for 2 years, $12 million, maybe 3 for $17-18. That's still less than they would have had to pay for Lilly, who would probably get around 4 years for $40, and is someone whom they see as a the same quality player. They essentially get the same pitcher for less years and dollars on the payroll- the less years being important for the flexibility it provides for the future.
Of course, at least with someone like Lilly, who's pitched in NY before, we know what we're going to get.
Thoughts?
He looks like he stinks, and will drive Torre off the wall. What is Cashman doing? He should have spent the money on a couple of good relievers, like Bradford and Baez.
It's a good pick up , why spend extra millions on players with era the size of perfect ice skating scores?? plus he is a lefty , what worries me is his tutledge he will get from the Pitching coach? was Hideki Irabu under torre's watch or Buck ?