UPDATE (Dec. 6, 7:00 p.m. PT): As expected, the Los Angeles Dodgers appear to have reached an agreement with free agent Hisashi Iwakuma.
Iwakuma will turn 35 years old one week into the 2016 season. He joins the Dodgers after spending the his entire Major-League career (four years) with the Seattle Mariners.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Iwakuma and the Dodgers agreed on a three-year contract:
Dodgers have a deal with iwakuma. Believed to be for 3 years.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) December 7, 2015
UPDATE (Dec. 6, 5:20 p.m. PT): On the eve of Major League Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings beginning, the Los Angeles Dodgers have reportedly continued to push toward signing Hisashi Iwakuma and trading for Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman.
Iwakuma to this point has spent the entirety of his four-year Major-League career with the Seattle Mariners, who were said to be interested in re-signing the righty.
While it’s been reported the Dodgers and Iwakuma agreed on a contract, that may not yet be the case, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
#Dodgers not in agreement with Iwakuma yet but other teams interested in RHP strongly believe he will be a Dodger
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 7, 2015
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Dodgers are continuing to make progress toward signing Iwakuma:
Sources: #Dodgers moving toward completion of deal with Iwakuma. @JimBowden_ESPN says agreement is in place.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 7, 2015
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ need for starting pitching increased on Friday night when Zack Greinke agreed to a six-year, $206.5 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Greinke had long been reported as the Dodgers’ top priority this winter, but the club reportedly never grew comfortable extending a contract offer to six years.
With David Price and Greinke off the board, the Dodgers reportedly shifted their focus to second-tier options still on the market.
Among them was Jeff Samardzjia, though he agreed to a five-year, $90 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. The Giants were also in the hunt to sign Greinke before the 32-year-old right-hander agreed with Arizona.
In the time since, the Dodgers’ were believed to have zeroed in on Hisashi Iwakuma. According to ESPN’s Jim Bowden, the Dodgers and Iwakuma reached an agreement Sunday night:
Iwakuma has agreed with Dodgers
— Jim Bowden (@JimBowden_ESPN) December 7, 2015
Iwakuma was 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA, 107 ERA+, 3.74 FIP and 1.06 WHIP in 20 starts with the Seattle Mariners last season. The Japanese native spent six weeks on the disabled list due to a strained lat muscle suffered April 25.
Iwakuma threw the fifth no-hitter in Mariners franchise history on Aug. 12. He was extended a qualifying offer by Seattle, which he rejected, and thus will require the Dodgers to forfeit their first-round pick (currently No. 25 overall) in the 2016 MLB Draft.
In his four-year career, Iwakuma is 47-25 with a 3.17 ERA, 117 ERA+. 3.62 FIP and 1.06 WHIP. He finished third in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2013, the same season he also was named to the AL All-Star team.
While adding Iwakuma to the rotation means improved depth, he’ll turn 35 years old in April and is more of a No. 3 starter than a bonafide option to fill the void left by Greinke’s departure.
