Over/under on first injury is June 1. Meh.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25658933/seattle-mariners-japanese-lefty-yusei-kikuchi-agree-four-year-deal

I think Heyman was mistaken. Passan mentions no four year extension. He probably just misunderstood someone saying that when the player option is executed it’s a guaranteed 4 year contract, not an additional 4 years.

That makes more sense.

9 minutes ago, bmags said:

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25658933/seattle-mariners-japanese-lefty-yusei-kikuchi-agree-four-year-deal

I think Heyman was mistaken. Passan mentions no four year extension. He probably just misunderstood someone saying that when the player option is executed it’s a guaranteed 4 year contract, not an additional 4 years.

He also doesn’t mention anything about the terms of the deal. He obviously doesn’t know details.

 

4 minutes ago, aeichhor said:

 

This makes a lot more sense.

 

edit: actually rereading his first tweet it actually was describing the 4 year extension as a team option. The first time I read the 4 year guarantee as a player option.

So anyway 4 for basically 60 is a little high but would have liked that deal for sox

5 minutes ago, bmags said:

So anyway 4 for basically 60 is a little high but would have liked that deal for sox

That doesn’t include the ~20% posting fee though right?

9 minutes ago, bmags said:

So anyway 4 for basically 60 is a little high but would have liked that deal for sox

How much higher would've the Sox needed to go to get him away from the west coast?

1 minute ago, ptatc said:

How much higher would've the Sox needed to go to get him away from the west coast?

It was pretty widely rumored that he preferred the west coast, yes?  I would have loved for the Sox to pounce on him at those numbers (+posting), but I'm not gonna be overly upset that he chose Seattle.

2 minutes ago, SouthWallace said:

It was pretty widely rumored that he preferred the west coast, yes?  I would have loved for the Sox to pounce on him at those numbers (+posting), but I'm not gonna be overly upset that he chose Seattle.

That's what I remember. Most Asian players do because of the flights. If they are making enough money to go home on occasion, I don't blame them.

How much would someone have to pay me more to have a 12 hr direct flight home instead of a 9 hour direct flight home. 

Not that much more.

Since this is the official signing record, I want to go back on record saying that with the injury history Japanese pitchers have coming to the states, and the fact he has already has some shoulder problems... I am glad this wasn't as at this commitment.

I'm curious to know if we were truly in on him. Not saying I did or didnt want him, just curious if they tried hard or even at all.

12 hours ago, Eminor3rd said:

Lame

Don't worry I see a Tommy John or more likely shoulder surgery in his future.

43 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Don't worry I see a Tommy John or more likely shoulder surgery in his future.

Yeah you’re probably right. 

I just don’t think we have the money to sign him, Machado, and Harper. We had to cut bait with one of these players

7 minutes ago, sin city sox fan said:

I just don’t think we have the money to sign him, Machado, and Harper. We had to cut bait with one of these players

Actually, that contract would have been fine to absorb, along with one of the Big 2.

The problem is his health, and he’s a workhorse guy like Q...not a dominant, TOR type.  There hasn’t been a single Japanese pitcher not to lose effectiveness after coming to MLB due to injury.   

Let say his upside is Maeda-like results.

The only reason is you feel that there’s no opportunity for better FA pitchers next offseason (dubious)...the risk/reward is justified for a LHP or your marketing department, but the Pacific Northwest has always been a better home for Japanese pitchers.  Our only connection was Tikatsu and Iguchi over a decade ago now.

I wouldn't have minded him, but yeah that's an awful lot of money for this particular pitcher. 

 

That's interesting to say the least.

Too rich for my blood.

Is the 20% posting fee based on the GUARANTEED part of the deal, or the potential full 7 year value or the midpoint of those two?

51 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Is the 20% posting fee based on the GUARANTEED part of the deal, or the potential full 7 year value or the midpoint of those two?

I would think guaranteed since the additional 4 years would technically be an extension.

 

http://www.ussmariner.com/

This is how bleak it is for Mariners’ fans, their top message board still doesn’t have a mention of the signing.  Local newspapers only care about Seattle and the Cowboys.