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According to JapanBall.com, 68 players from Japan have declared for free agency, including 30–year-old OF Kosuke Fukudome, RHP Masahide Kobayashi and RHP Hiroki Kuroda, who is rumored to be in Los Angeles this week to determine if he needs elbow surgery.
Last May, in a Rumblings & Grumblings report for ESPN.com, Jayson Stark quoted an MLB team official as saying of Fukudome…
“He’ll be a big name all winter. There may be more teams on him than were in on Hideki Matsui, because it was nearly a foregone conclusion Matsui was going to the Yankees. I don’t have any sense there’s a favorite team with this guy.”
…from what i can gather, he plays very hard; he’ll be strong defensively in left field and right field, where he has a great arm, very similar to Ichiro; he will not be a big home run threat, though he’ll hit a lot of balls in the gap; think a better version of Tadahito Iguchi during his rookie season for the White Sox, i.e., .290, 15 HR, at least 30 doubles, 10 SB, 100 K’s, etc…the early buzz from baseball expects him to ask for at least a three-year deal, while the Red Sox, Padres, Rangers, Mariners and Giants will likely show interest…
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Why would we not be interested? That would allow us to move Milledge if necessary or keep as a backup plan if Alou gets injured.
Also, Koji Uehara who was supposed to be a free agent came up short of his service time due to injury.
He will not be a free agent this year, he’s going to have to wait until next year. Unless the Yomiuri Giants post him which I REALLY doubt…
Whompers, I felt he was the best japanese arm available.
so he is talented and plays hard? then the mets don’t want him. omar says “pass” and then he says “zzzzzzzzzzzzz.”
(same with arod)
I wuoldn’t get rid of Milledge just because they got this guy. He would make a nice 4th OF rotation guy. Hey, someone has to play for the 2 months that Alou is on the DL!
Think of him as replacing Green.
“Fukudome” sounds like a cool-as-hell stadium.
Just wait until Jon Miller announces it and you’ll see how cool it really is.
“FUK – u – doME up at bat now.” Followed by bel-TRON
And yes, I know he pronounces the names correctly….he just over-exaggerates the syllables so he sounds amusing to me.
Meh.
Don’t need him.
Don’t want him.
He can take his .278/12/72 somewhere else.
yea seriously no thank you, if we take on a guy thats gonna strike out 100+ times he better be a slugger not someone who will arguably put up worse numbers than milledge.
Not sold on any Japanese player not named Ichiro….knowing the Mets luck, this guy will be Kaz Matsui, Queens version, part II…
He prefers to go by “Kosuke”.
I think he would succeed.
I’d rather get pitching for Milledge
I don’t want any Japanese position players here… Unless it’s Ichiro, I don’t want them.
More importantly, what does Bobby V think of him? He’s MLBs Japanese Advance Scout, isn’t he?
Yes….I am very excited to hear what Bobby V thinks….
Well after his endorsement of Kaz, and his trip to CT to see Mo Vaughn hit in a batting cage (it wasn’t just Phillips like everyone likes to believe)….I am interested in anything this man has to say.
Omar was there too, on an aside…..
I’ll take Fukudome over Alou any day. Even if he costs twice as much (which he won’t) and demand a 3-year contract … as long as they do their homework on his makeup and health,
An outfield of Beltra/Fukudome/Milledge or Gomez would be ideal. I cringe at the thought of Alou for another year with his slow defense and his 1/2 season or more spent on the DL.