The Cubs signed 32 year old Japanese free agent Kyuji Fujikawa to a 2-year deal worth $9.2 million. The contract includes a vesting option for 2015 depending on games finished that be worth either $5.5 million or $6 million.
Word on the street is that this guy sits in the 92-94 mph range and can touch 95-97 depending on which scouting report you read. His numbers in Japan are comical (12.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 5.4 H/9, 1.36 ERA).
If there's one concern it's that he's thrown fewer innings the last couple years. In 2007 he threw 83 innings and over the next 3 years he threw between 57 and 67 innings. He threw only 51 in 2011 and 47.2 this past season.
I don't believe the Cubs have said what role he'll have with the Cubs, but if they manage to trade Carlos Marmol it's probable he'll be a closer and be asked to throw 65 to 70 innings. I don't have any idea what the Cubs will get out of this guy, but I do know it won't be anywhere near as good as he's been in Japan. Yu Darvish had a 1.72 career ERA in Japan as a starter and it was nearly 4 in the US. Below is an image of Daisuke Matsuzaka's ERA since 2001.
Yesterday the Cubs non-tendered Ian Stewart, Zach Putnam and Jaye Chapman. A day earlier they DFA'd Casey Coleman to make room for Scott Feldman.
who is zach putnam?
@ GW:
http://www.obstructedview.net/tag/am-i-the-only-one-who-didnt-know-zach-putnam-was-on-the-40-man-roster
To answer your question, I have no fucking clue who Zach Putnam is. (dying laughing)
Even so, with a bullpen as crap as the Cubs’ has been, he’s got to be a nice piece to have. It also puts the international market and general free agent market on alert that the Cubs are players. It’s not automatically a great signing, but it’s certainly an interesting one.
Kaz Sasaki might be a better comp in terms of a translation from Japan to the US. He put up very similar numbers (12-13 K/9, 2.5 BB/9) before coming to the Mariners as a 32-year-old in 2000 and posted a 3.43 FIP in four seasons. Slowed down a bit in his last year and was out of baseball after one last season in Japan.
Decent bullpen depth move, I guess. Can we get rid of Marmol now?
@ dmick89:
They picked him up off waivers from the Rockies a couple weeks ago, that’s about all I know.
GW wrote:
never heard of him…
does this mean we can bring back the Horry Kow shirts?
Good thing the Astros are in the AL. Fujikawa won’t need to know where he can get lunch in Houston.
uncle dave wrote:
This was my first thought too. Kaz Sasaki is a good comp. This guy will probably be better than average, but he’s not going to be a dominating reliever in the US. More than likely anyway.
@ dmick89:
As a point of reference, it looks like the only Cub to post a 3.42 or better FIP out of the bullpen last year was Joe Mather (dying laughing).
Suburban kid wrote:
(dies laughing)
dmick89 wrote:
Relative to the rest of the Cubs bullpen, he’s Mariano Rivera
In unsurprising news, Robothal/Morosi say that the Cubs are going to be shopping Adolfo at the meetings.
(dying laughing)
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What’s the correct pronunciation of Kyuji Fujikawa? I’ve heard it two different ways already.
mb21 wrote:
I took Japanese in high school. You basically pronounce every syllable. There’s not really any silent letters. Kyu-gee Foo-gee-kah-wah. Just say it faster than how you just read it.
@ JonKneeV:
Thanks. Interestingly, neither pronunciation I heard yesterday was like that, which I guess doesn’t surprise me. Swap out the g sound with the j sound and that’s what I had decided I’d go with. Glad I asked.
dmick89 wrote:
I’m pretty sure he meant the g sound to be the soft g, in other words, same as the j sound. So you probably had it right already. This really isn’t difficult people. (dying laughing)
new shit: http://www.obstructedview.net/commentary-and-analysis/pat-caputo-and-the-hall-of-fame.html