Los Angeles Dodgers Sign FA Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda For Three Years - National League
MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers announced today that they have signed Japanese free agent right-handed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a three-year contract, according to Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti.
“Kuroda was arguably the best starting pitcher on the free agent market and will be a great addition to our staff,” said Colletti. “There was a lot of competition for a pitcher of his ilk and we’re thrilled that he’s chosen to become a Dodger and to make Los Angeles his home.”
Kuroda has spent the past 11 seasons with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Japanese Central League, where he posted a 103-89 record and 3.69 ERA in 271 games. Last season, the right-hander went 12-8 with a 3.56 ERA in 26 games, including seven complete games.
“It is a true honor for me to join the Los Angeles Dodgers and Takashi Saito, whom I admire,” said Kuroda. “The Dodgers have always been the most popular team in Japan and the city of Los Angeles has a great Japanese community. I am really looking forward to being a part of both the team and the community.”
The Osaka native has made the All-Star team in each of the past three seasons (2005-07) and enjoyed his finest year in 2006, going 13-6 with a league-leading 1.85 ERA in 26 games. In 2005, he led the league in victories (15) and was named the Most Valuable Pitcher and earned a Gold Glove Award.
Kuroda, who will turn 33 in February, was a member of the Japanese Olympic team in 2004 which took home the bronze medal. He was scouted primarily by Dodger Japanese Scouting Supervisor Keiichi Kojima.
The six-foot, one-inch, 190-pound right-hander will become the seventh Japanese player in Dodger history, joining Hideo Nomo (1995-98, 2002-04), Kazuhisa Ishii (2002-04), Masao Kida (2003-04), Norihiro Nakamura (2005), Dave Roberts (2002-04) and Saito (2006-07). Earlier this month, the team announced a deal with right-handed pitcher Robert Boothe, the club’s first amateur signing from Japan.
Jessica Quiroli
in Free Agent Signing, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball, Transactions, National League
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