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MLB Rumors: Seattle Mariners Pursuing Hisashi Iwakuma

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ quest to bounce back from losing Zack Greinke to the Arizona Diamondbacks took a significant hit on Thursday amid reports of Hisashi Iwakuma failing a physical.

Iwakuma and the Dodgers reportedly agreed to a three-year, $45 million contract just under two weeks ago.

However, while the Dodgers officially announced the signing of Chase Utley during Major League Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings, their deal with Iwakuma remained unofficial.

Although Iwakuma failed the physical, the Dodgers reportedly were still interested in signing the right-hander, albeit to different terms than what was originally agreed upon.

Additionally, Los Angeles was said to have interest in Scott Kazmir and Mike Leake. As for Iwakuma, the Seattle Mariners appeared to have re-entered the picture, via ESPN’s Jim Bowden:

Iwakuma spent the past four seasons with the Mariners, going 47-25 with a 3.17 ERA, 117 ERA+. 3.62 FIP and 1.06 WHIP.

Last season he was 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA, 3.74 FIP and 1.06 WHIP in 20 starts. Iwakuma 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.

It’s believed the Dodgers’ willingness to include a guaranteed third year was the difference-maker in the initial contract negotiations.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com