We’re still awaiting official word from Theo and Jed, but everyone is reporting that the Cubs have signed Japanese reliever Kyuji Fujikawa to a two-year contract.
The Japanese closer is on the verge of signing with the Cubs, as multiple reports on Saturday said he’s agreed to a two-year deal worth $9.5 million. Fox Sports reported the deal contains a vesting option for 2015 based on games finished – $5.5 million or $6 million – as well as a $5.5 million club option if it doesn’t vest.
The Cubs declined to comment, but they also didn’t deny that there was a lot of momentum heading in this direction. General manager Jed Hoyer confirmed on Friday that the Cubs had recently met with Fujikawa and came away impressed.
We all know the Japanese League isn’t MLB, but Fujikawa has amassed some impressive numbers in his career.
Fujikawa, 32, played 12 seasons with the Hanshin Tigers, totaling 220 saves, and a 1.77 ERA. Last season, he appeared in 47 2/3 innings and compiled a 1.32 ERA. He was sidelined with an adductor strain and has not thrown 70 innings in a single season since 2007.
A closer with durability issues. Could this mean the Cubs will hold on to Carlos Marmol, just in case?
“Whenever you build a bullpen, you want as many guys that have a chance to pitch late in the game as possible,” Hoyer said. “Carlos had a great second half (1.52 ERA). He struggled in April. He lost the job and to his credit he worked really hard to get it back and pitched really well. If we bring in someone that has closing experience – or a number of guys that have that kind of experience – that’s no knock on Carlos.“Every team in baseball wants to have an assortment of guys back there that – if the need arises – can pitch in the ninth inning. Hopefully, we can do that. Our bullpen put too much pressure last year on (Shawn) Camp and Russell and Marmol and we have to avoid that. We need to bring in a really good number of arms to make that goal a reality.”
Should be an interesting week with alot to talk about.
Consensus from the articles I read is that teams still want the Cubs to pay most of Soriano’s salary and give nothing back so it looks like were stuck with him.
3B is the question, can we pry a good one away and for what or do we sign someone like Keppinger.
Will Marmol and Barney get new addresses?
This is a good read, Theo and Co are impressive.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ten years ago, Theo Epstein showed up here for his first winter meetings as a general manager, the wonder boy who grew up near Fenway Park now running the Boston Red Sox.
Five years ago, Epstein returned here in the afterglow of his second World Series title, a curse-busting legacy that appeared to make him a legend throughout New England forever.
On Sunday night, Epstein landed in Nashville, Tenn., and headed toward the Gaylord Opryland, knowing that he probably won’t leave the hotel or feel any sunlight again until Thursday. The Cubs president of baseball operations makes ballplayer money now and hangs out with Pearl Jam front man Eddie Vedder, but he won’t be the star of these winter meetings.
Before the lobby even started buzzing, the Cubs had already reached an agreement with Kyuji Fujikawa. An industry source confirmed that a deal was made late Saturday night – all that’s left is the Japanese closer taking a physical. The reported terms – two years at $9.5 million, plus an option – show the type of commitments the front office is willing to make this offseason.
Insiders were left shaking their heads at the idea the Cubs are going after Michael Bourn. Yes, there’s a need for an outfielder, but there aren’t any megadeals in the works. Epstein isn’t going to waver from his plan just because the Cubs lost 101 games.
“He’s got conviction,” Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers said. “He’s got zero fear. He’s a great friend, but he would step on my neck, slice my throat to win. That’s just who he is.”
Towers warned his friend Brian Cashman, the New York Yankees general manager, when Epstein went to Boston: Look out, this kid’s good.
Epstein had just graduated from Yale University in 1995 when he went to work for the San Diego Padres, first in the communications department and then baseball operations. Towers was the general manager there when he had Epstein handling the radar guns and learning how to evaluate players up close. Epstein also graduated from University of San Diego’s law school during that time, though he didn’t spend much time in the actual classroom.
“I’d give Theo a project, it would take some interns two to three weeks,” Towers said, snapping his fingers. “It would be on my desk the next day.
“Incredible listener, incredible recall. He’d listen to the veteran scouts and show respect. He wouldn’t talk out of turn. He would listen and take things in and really learned that side of the game.”
Towers is convinced that Epstein has broken down all the teams in the National League Central, analyzing their contract situations and windows for contention, preparing for his chance to attack. And then the Cubs will be in total go-for-it mode.
But in the meantime, the Cubs will be looking for value and making under-the-radar moves. Like when Epstein noticed the Red Sox put David Eckstein on waivers in 2000.
“He came running in, saying we got to claim this guy,” Towers recalled. “I got the STATS Inc. book out at the time…I say: ‘No way.’ He says: ‘I’m telling you, man, there’s some indicators. This guy’s going to hit. He’s an on-base machine.’
“Could have just claimed him for 20 grand. He’s MVP of the World Series (a couple years later). I said: ‘I may want to start listening to this guy. He’s got some pretty good ideas.’”
The Cubs have already added two starters to their rotation on one-year deals. It only took a few minutes before Scott Baker and Scott Feldman were asked about the possibility of being flipped at the trade deadline. The clubhouse knows they need a strong start next April and May, or else risk Epstein pulling the plug on next season.
“As soon as you get to spring training and Opening Day starts, you’re in it to win it, until you’re not,” Epstein said. “Nothing would make me happier than being solidly in contention in June and July and adding pieces for next year. We’ll build the team and leave a little bit of a cushion, so that if things break our way and we get off to a good start, we can add pieces. With the second wild card, that’s never total fantasy.
“If we find ourselves in that position, we’ll be thrilled and we’ll go for it. If we’re not in that position, we’ll make the hard call that we made this year and do it in the best interests of the Cubs and look to move shorter-term assets for longer-term assets.
“We’ll look to move veteran players for younger players and use that as a way to improve our long-term prospects and build our foundation. But it’s not like we build the team hoping we go down that path. I hope we’re in a position to add, but we’ll be prepared for either scenario.”
Of course the Cubs are going to look at trade possibilities for Alfonso Soriano. And Fujikawa could make Carlos Marmol a trade chip again. But there’s probably not enough inventory to pull off a blockbuster deal.
Profiles of Towers have mentioned how the general manager used “gunslinger” as part of his personal e-mail address.
So Towers admired how Epstein pulled the trigger on a four-team trade on July 31, 2004, sending franchise icon Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs and getting key pieces in return that helped the Red Sox win their first World Series title in 86 years.
In Epstein’s world, no one is untouchable. Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Jeff Samardzija will be core players – until they’re not anymore. They’re all assets in the rebuilding project on the North Side.
“Moving Garciaparra couldn’t have been easy,” Towers said. “He don’t care. He doesn’t fall in love with people. He’ll slice your throat and step on you
I enjoyed the last sentence of that article.
We all need “great friends” who would step on our necks and slice our throats.
I’m that type of friend…
The problem is, it tend to step on necks and slice throats for no good reason…I think Theo has a reason when he does it.
Me too. I like the part about leaving some cushion in case things break our way. No doubt when the time comes Theo and Co are waiting armed and ready to make serious splashes.
That philosphy is somthing I could buy into….
I’m sorry…I’m still kinda scratching my head at this Fujikawa signing. I don’t see him being much more than a middle reliever in the big leagues…especially at his age.
I’m not against it but I hope he don’t plan on blowing that fastball by MLB hitters, they say he’s a really good splitter and fork. If he can keep the ball down I think he will be ok and its a good contract that can be flipped.
He can only be flipped if he stays healthy.
And even if they can flip him, middle relief pitchers don’t really command much in return.
Sounds to me like he will be the closer. He’s never played in more than 70 games in a season and if I’m not mistaken there seasons are shorter than ours.
Got a feelng this was a marketing type signing as much as anything especially if he can start having any type of success.
How does a “closer” have success on a team that is going to lose 100 games?
Happens…Joakim Soria etc have made a living doing it.
Soria is an exceptional pitcher. I don’t think this 30-something japanese guy is even close to him.
In the end…I guess I really need to just trust the Theo and Jed know what they are doing.
I still believe this was as much of a PR/Marketing signing as anything. If the guy can have success the Cubs will make there money back x2.
Don’t be sorry for what you think is a ‘valid’ observation.
Oh…sorry.
Sounds like A-Rod is out until July.
I know people think the Yankees have an unlimited supply of money, but I believe that is changing, and the A-Rod contract is a big problem for them.
First off, the Yankees are making a substantial effort to reduce their payroll in the near future as they very badly want to avoid the luxury tax that they have to pay every year.
Attendance at Yankee Stadium isn’t quite what they had been hoping for either.
And in a very interesting move, they sold off nearly 50% of the YES Network.
A-Rod is owed well over $100 million still…this is a much worse situation for the Yankees than the remaining 2 years on the Soriano deal is for the Cubs.
Yankees are hot mess and it isn’t getting any better and time soon. Wish they would let Cano walk next season!
Someone should tell the Yankees that Ian Stewart is available! I’m sure they would also be interested in a trade for Josh Vitters or Luis Valbuena.
I wonder if Soriano could play 3rd base.
Napoli to the Bo Sox
I know they’ve been rumored to have wanted him for a while…
But I don’t see this as improving that team at all…a bad defensive catcher (no hiding him at DH), with a likely continuation of a downward trend offensively…this seems very typical of the Red Sox over the last 3 years.
Napoli deal…3 years $39 million.
Reports saying starting 1st baseman
I’ve now seen that too…that makes it an even worse deal.
Yep its not good at all. Dude hit like .210 last year but there saying he rakes at Fenway. Either way terrible defense, old, play trending downward. Def has bad signing written all over it.
He was that bad last year? Wow. I actually didn’t look at his stats. I don’t think he’s that old, though…maybe 30? But he does have a lot of mileage on him.
My bad it was actually .227 but still http://www.rotoworld.com/stats/mlb/4181/mike-napoli
He’s 31 and been a catcher his whole life so I’m sure that back and those knees are shit.
Sounds like Nick Swisher is their next target.
Prince William and Kate are expecting a baby…
Which means another rich spoiled brat that contributes nothing to society will be arriving in 9 months.
Oh yay
I figured you would be excited.
Sounds like the Rangers are resigning Geovany Soto.
1 year, $3 million.
And the Padres signed OGDJM for one year and $3 million.
LMAO just saw that. I don’t like that mother fucker but somehow someway he latches on and extracts millions year after year.
Damn Geo got 3 million….wow!
He can buy a lot of pot with that.
Now he just needs to be traded to Seattle or The Rockies…
Julie’s man AJ is about to get paid handsomely I gotta believe.
Oh, the winter meetings started. I was wondering what all the movement was about. I’m just going to operate under the assumption not much will happen so I don’t get excited for nothing.
Low expectations and pessimism are the ways to having a truly content life without disappointment.
That’s why I don’t expect Notre Dame to do anything in the National Championship game.
And this was also my mistake in game 6 with the Nats last year.
:`(
Interesting discussion going on, on another board. What if Boras don’t like the market for Bourne and wants Theo and Co to somewhat bail him out. Would we be willing to give him a 3-4yr deal at 15+ AAV? In turn Boras would go easier on us if we drafted Appel or another one of his clients in the draft.
Interesting food for thought there cause I’m sure that is how it works to some extent.
I think Bourn will get just about everything he wants. I don’t see Boras connecting Mark Appel with him. I have to believe that regardless of signability, the Astros will take Appel first.
Is Wisconsin the least deserving BCS bowl team of all time?
According to ESPN last night, that honor goes to N.I. University-they never said the actual name of the college. Whomever they are, they are playing a Florida team, and Palmer kept whining how that spot should have gone to another team. I would have had more information, but my mother decided to call my brother the SC fan to rub it in again about ND being #1…
BCS apologists continue to claim that the benefit of the BCS is that it continues to promote the importance of every regular season game…while a true playoff diminishes the regular season.
Wisconsin making the Rose Bowl makes that argument completely false.
NIU worked within the system and actually earned their spot from a successful entire season, which the BCS is supposed to promote…and I’m not saying that they can beat Florida State, but each team a non-major conference school that has gone to the BCS has made it a very competitive game and had justified their ranking.
The BCS’s goal is to make as much money as possible for the conferences, which means that the conference champs have to get auto-bids. Aside from that, Wisconsin did technically win the big ten (technically winning is the best kind of winning), so they would have gone to the Rose Bowl even under the rules from 50 years ago.
No…under the rules 50 years ago, Wisconsin wouldn’t have gone to the rose bowl because there was no championship game. Nebraska (rightfully so) would have gone based on its conference record.
The fact the Badger’s had only a .500 record in conference play makes a mockery of just about everything associated with both the Big 10 and the BCS. They won because two schools were put on probation because of the acts of others who are not even associated with the university anymore.
Big Ten football. Yep.
that gives me hope for my Terps at least
Given the state of Big 10 football…yes.
NCAA football. Yep.
I meant more in the B10 champion sense. If you’re complaining about that, bitch about the B10 having a championship game, not the BCS.
If anything, that WAS a playoff that produced a suboptimal result. So yay playoff system.
agreed on NIU, I’m happy that they are in, and I will be rooting for them against FSU
My Sooners got a screwjob but they can’t beat Florida anyway.
I guess I can comforted by the fact that the Big Ten’s only BCS team has 5 losses. That’s pretty pathetic.
They play football in Wisconsin?
Yep…and I have to hear about it every day of my miserable life.
46 comments at 11 am? You guys tricked me into thinking something actually happened.
Something did happen
And then Julie comes in…:)
Oh no…Julie is here now. Everyone….shhhhhhhh.
These could potentially be our targets for Thursday’s draft:
Braulio Lara http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=lara–001bra
Josh Fields http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=sa389733&position=P
Lara seems pretty inconceivable….he’s only been to A ball and the Cubs would have to maintain him on the 25 man roster in order to keep him.
Fields would seem to be a more likely target.
I’ve read articles stating this is one of the best Rule V drafts in terms of qaulity. Other reports say were gonna to take at least 1 player. Gonna be interesting.
yeah, this signing, and the other rumors still are “eh, why not”
and I’m still ok with that
Jim Deshaies is our new color man.
This is a good move….Deshaies very good.
Good move.
Looks like Theo and Co aren’t done adding to the Pen…looks like were in on Jason Grilli
UGH.
He’s good…really good.
Give the guy a chance.
In fact, I might go as far as saying he is better than Bob Brenly was.
I know he’s good. Len is also good. But I find them both very . . antiseptic. Listen to Len talk sometime . . he could be calling any game, in any city. He’s good at talking about baseball . . but there’s something missing. There’s no Chicago in him. Deshaies is going to be the same way.
Um…
?
And Pat Hughes isn’t antiseptic?
If you want the second coming of Harry Caray…I hate to tell you, but it ain’t happening.
No . . he’s not. He’s warm and fuzzy and very Chicago-centric. I want 4 more of him.
I find Pat and Len to be equal in that. Don’t get me wrong…I think Len had a lot of growing up to do when he came here…but now I think Len has become as much a Cubs guy as Pat has.
And I don’t really find Len as generic as many others in baseball…at least not in the last 3 years or so. I agree, he initially came in as pretty dry, factory-made play by play guy…but I don’t see that being the case at all now. He’s got a distinctive voice, and he’s become a bit of a homer now (I actually attribute that to Brenly).
You want antiseptic…try listening to the Brewers TV guys.
And, honestly, I don’t see Deshaies as that anyway.
You also like Keith Moreland, and I can’t stand listening to him.
Not anymore. I was wrong about Keith Moreland. I’ve apologized for that many times.
I was wrong. I know I was wrong. I admitted I was wrong. What more do you want from me?
Render Keith Moreland incapable of speech. That would be a start.
So what does he look like? The Tribune has the story,but no photo, and there is no photo on wikipedia. His nickmane appears to be “JD”-not promising…
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/images/team/broadcasters/broadcaster_hou_deshaies.jpg
Seriously people…he’s probably one of the top 3 or 4 color commentators in the business.
He is 3/4′s as good as Vin Scully.
That is VERY high praise.
That pretty much puts him as the #2 broadcaster in baseball since I thought Vin Scully was twice as good as anyone else in the world.
Vin might just be that.
It’s amazing how uninterested I am in anything the Cubs do these days. Just one boring update after another.
You don’t have Fujikawa fever? What the hell is wrong with you? We are now just one Josh Hamilton away from a division title.
Julie…you need to start cheering your ass up. Stop dragging us all down. You never see me acting so negatively toward this team.
It sounds like Len Kasper was the one who really pushed for Deshaies.
Others around the league say that the Cubs now have the best broadcast team in baseball.
Julie thinks its one of the worst broadcast teams in baseball and is dreaming of a booth of Harry Caray and Ron Santo…which would give us no insight on anything related to the game, but we’d hear great stories about 80 Evelyn Johnson from Des Moines, Iowa and how much she enjoys watching the broadcasts with her 12 cats and pet canary.
Know what? A) That’s not what I said and B) I don’t really care what other people think. I’m the one that has to listen to this team, not them.
You don’t have to listen to anything.
But it seems as if you’d rather listen to stories about Evelyn.
Give it a chance. He may be great. A person doesnt have to be from or have connections to a place to quickly develop a love for it.
Brenly had no real connection with the Cubs before he started broadcasting with them back in the 90s.
He turned out to be great.
With all this Deshaies stuff…I am sorta sad the the rumor about Mark DeRosa from over the weekend didn’t pan out.
Julie? Nothing to talk about with Homeland today? I heard it was another really really good episode.
I only have basic so what I know about “Homeland” is the sketch they did about the show on SNL…
Former Cubs travelling secretary, Jimmy Bank, won “Travelling Secretary of the Year”. It’s a good thing the Cubs fired him right before he won that award.
Theo will find a much cheaper traveling secretary who’s at least 75% as good.