A.L. East to Far East: Yankees Extend Rivalry
By BEN SHPIGEL
Published: November 29, 2006
The fiercest and oldest rivalry in professional sports has taken hold in
the Far East. The Yankees and the Red Sox have each spent an enormous sum
of money to negotiate with a pitcher from Japan, but the twist is that the
Yankees, the team with the highest payroll in baseball, may have received
the consolation prize.
The Yankees answered the Red Sox’ overwhelming bid for Daisuke Matsuzaka
by submitting the highest proposal to talk exclusively with Kei Igawa, a
left-hander from the Hanshin Tigers who projects as a middle-of-the-rotation
starter. Major League Baseball announced last night that Hanshin had accepted
the Yankees’ bid of $26 million — more than half of what the Red Sox
spent to speak with Matsuzaka — and the Yankees now have until midnight
on Dec. 28 to negotiate a contract with Igawa. If the sides do not agree,
the Yankees receive their money back.
“I am very pleased to have the rights to sign him for the Yankees,”
George Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ principal owner, said in a statement.
The Yankees bid $33 million for Matsuzaka’s rights, but, like many other
teams, including the Mets, they were foiled by the Red Sox. The Mets bid
$39 million for Matsuzaka and $15 million for Igawa, and after coming away
empty-handed twice, they appear poised to concentrate on signing the
free-agent pitcher Barry Zito.
The Yankees and the Red Sox, two of baseball’s most well-heeled franchises,
paid $77 million merely for the right to talk with the pitchers, with Boston
in line to spend upwards of $100 million for Matsuzaka. If Igawa is
successful, the Yankees may have gotten somewhat of a bargain.
“We have been following Kei Igawa’s very successful and accomplished
career in Japan, and we are excited about the opportunity to begin the
negotiating process with him,” Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman
said in a statement. “I’m confident that if we are successful in
bringing Mr. Igawa to the Bronx, the Yankees’ organization, along with
our passionate and diverse fan base, can provide the same type of
commitment and excitement that he has become so accustomed to.”
The range of bids speaks to the difference of opinion on his value.
The Yankees have scouted the 27-year-old Igawa for the past three
seasons and are hoping that they are getting someone as good as — or
close to — Matsuzaka, the ace pitcher from the Seibu Lions. Just as
likely, they would be happy if he stabilized the back of their rotation.
“He’s nowhere near Matsuzaka,” said a Pacific Rim scout who was
granted anonymity because he was not authorized to share scouting
reports. “He’s down the list a ways as far as his stuff and his
ability to make pitches. But he’s left-handed, and he could fit in
on a club that needs someone in the fourth or fifth slot.”
Unlike Matsuzaka, who dazzled on the way to his most valuable player
selection at the World Baseball Classic this year, Igawa is a finesse
pitcher without much experience in international competition. He grazes
90 miles an hour with his fastball, and he relies on a slurve and his
best pitch, a changeup.
He went 14-9 with a 2.97 earned run average in 29 starts for Hanshin
this season and struck out 194 in recording his third strikeout title
in five seasons. Over all, he is 86-60 with a 3.15 E.R.A. during his
eight-year career. His best year came in 2003, when he went 20-5 and
was selected as the Central League M.V.P.
Igawa faced the major league barnstorming team in Japan earlier this
month with mixed results. He allowed two runs over six innings, but
he walked six and allowed a home run to the Mets’ David Wright.
After the game, when asked whether he thought Igawa could pitch in
the majors, Wright told reporters: “I just don’t know. I’d have to
see him when he’s in midseason form. You send a guy up there after
a month layoff, and you can’t get a handle on a guy. But as far as a
lefty goes, he has a sneaky fastball. I thought he threw, for a lefty,
an average to above-average fastball, an above-average changeup, and his
slider was a little flat. But with a month off, who knows? Could be any
number of reasons.”
Like the Red Sox, the Yankees knew they had to address their pitching
issues, and in Igawa they see a No. 3 or No. 4 starter who can
complement Chien-Ming Wang and Mike Mussina. After that, Randy Johnson
is coming off back surgery and may not be ready for the start of the
season, and Carl Pavano is a $10-million-a-season enigma. Waiting in
the minors is the highly regarded prospect Phil Hughes, but he has not
pitched above Class AA and the Yankees do not want to rush him.
Although teams have agreed to terms with second-tier pitchers like
Adam Eaton and Randy Wolf in recent days, a few remain available,
and winning the rights to Igawa will not prevent the Yankees from
pursuing another pitcher like Gil Meche or Ted Lilly, whose agent,
Larry O’Brien, recently said Lilly would welcome a return to the Bronx.
The Igawa announcement comes with the Red Sox’ president, Larry Lucchino,
in Japan talking with the Seibu Lions, Matsuzaka’s former team, about a
working agreement and discussing the organization’s offer to Matsuzaka
and his agent, Scott Boras.
As the Red Sox plunge deeper into what is expected to be very difficult
negotiations with the demanding Boras, the Yankees figure to have a much
easier path to signing Igawa.
They have worked with Igawa’s representative, Arn Tellem, on two
previous contracts for another Japanese player in Hideki Matsui, and
in deals for Mussina and Jason Giambi. Igawa is expected to command
a four-year contract worth $4 million to $4.5 million a season.
The Yankees and Red Sox renew their rivalry April 20 at Fenway Park.
The world will be watching.
Tyler Kepner, Murray Chass and Michael S. Schmidt contributed reporting.
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