Saturday, November 22, 2014

Yankees GM Cashman Thinks Kuroda Will Play Somewhere Next Season

Yankees GM Brian Cashman is confident Free Agent Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda will play somewhere next season.

Talking to The Journal News' Chad Jennings Thursday, Cashman opined that Kuroda is just too good to retire right now in spite of his rising age. According to Cashman, Kuroda will have a market if he decides to return, a reasonable observation after the latter went 11-9 with a 3.71 ERA with the Yankees in 2014.

“I haven’t heard anything officially," Cashman said. "Do I think he will play and put himself back in play for the major leagues as well as the NPB in Japan? I would think, yes. The guy is way too talented. I know he’s 38 or 39, but he’s way too talented to give it up and retire."

Indeed, Kuroda's beginning to get old. He'll turn 40 on February 10, and will probably only be given a one-year deal if he doesn't hang up his cleats.

But could the Yankees be the ones to give him that? They've already handed him three straight since 2012, so it'd make sense. 

"I wouldn’t say (whether the Yankees want Kuroda back)," Cashman said. "Every dollar counts to something. Everything we do has to be accounted for, so it will have an impact on something else. It depends on the entire context of the roster. But I do need starting pitching, so he’s clearly an area that would solve some issues. We’ll see.”

Last season, the Yankees payed Kuroda $16 million, the highest salary he received in their uniform. Nonetheless, since it's a safe bet Kuroda will get less if he re-signs for next year, it's likely the Yankees will at least give him a look, especially when you consider that this winter's top available starters are all commanding top dollar.

It's still tough to see exactly where Kuroda would fit into the Yankees' future plans, though, as the returns of CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova are inevitable. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)