Reports: Yankees Re-Sign Kuroda To A 1-Year Deal Worth $16 Million
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Yankees have resigned starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year, $16 million deal, according to multiple reports.
Kuroda will be 39 by Spring Training, was excellent for the majority of last season before struggling toward the end of 2013. In 32 starts he went 11-13 with a 3.31 ERA and 150 strikeouts, giving the Bombers 201 1/3 innings of work.
"He wants to come back," general manager Brian Cashman said on Thursday. "He's going to pitch, but whether he's going to pitch here or Japan or somewhere else here (in the United States), I don't know yet. All indications are he is definitely interested in coming back to the Yankees. That's the indication, but there's no guarantee."
It was speculated that the six-year veteran would either re-sign with the Yankees or return to Japan to finish out his career.
Kuroda -- along with Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson declined the Yankees' one-year, $14.1 million qualifying offer on November 11.
Cano has reportedly agreed to a 10-year deal with the Mariners on Friday, according to WFAN/CBSSports.com baseball insider Jon Heyman. Meanwhile, Granderson has signed a four-year contract with the Mets.
The Yankees have been very active in free agency thus far, making splashes by signing catcher Brian McCann and center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury. New York has also agreed to terms with second baseman Kelly Johnson and re-signed shortstop Brendan Ryan.
But Cashman hasn't addressed his team's lack of starting pitching.
Andy Pettitte is retired, and Phil Hughes completed a three-year, $24 million deal with the Twins on Thursday. Only CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova are locked into the rotation as of now.
"We need more hitting, but we also haven't signed Kuroda, he's still out there," managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said on Thursday. "There's a few other pitchers out there. We're not done with pitching, one way or the other, that's for sure. We need another bat or two."
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