Kei Igawa, P, New York Yankees

January 10, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Steven Kraser
Edited by Nicholas Minnix

On Dec. 27, the New York Yankees added a left-hander to their pitching staff, the second southpaw they've added this offseason, by signing starting pitcher Kei Igawa from the Japanese Central League to a five-year $20 million deal. Along with the previous addition of starting pitcher Andy Pettitte, New York has begun to reshape a pitching staff that has been underwhelming during the past several seasons. The signing of Igawa was actually New York's second attempt to sign a pitcher from Japan, as their bid (about $33 million) to secure the negotiating rights to starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka fell way short of the bid ($51.1 million) posted by the Boston Red Sox. As it turned out, it still took a bit over $26 million for the Yankees to win the right to sign Igawa. That fee has been paid to Igawa's Japanese team, the Hanshin Tigers, and is separate from the contract total. As the Red Sox also signed Matsuzaka, Boston and New York have added another interesting spin to their fierce rivalry.

Igawa is the latest of several imported pitchers the Yankees have brought in since their last world championship in 2000. Most of the acquisitions have not panned out (starting pitchers Jeff Weaver, Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano to name a few), so the team has once again been busy this winter in trying to come up with a winning formula.

THE GAME PLAN

The team's top of the rotation is set with starting pitchers Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina and Pettitte. The Yankees have succeeded in dealing left-handed starting pitcher Randy Johnson, and the last pitcher in the equation, Carl Pavano, remains a mystery as far as what level of contribution (if any) he can make in 2007. There are rumors that former Yankee starting pitcher Roger Clemens may find his way back to the Bronx, following Pettitte (they were teammates in New York and with the Houston Astros) once again. As there still remains a bunch of question marks concerning New York's starting rotation, Igawa could find himself anywhere from the fourth or fifth spot in the rotation to a job in the bullpen.

Igawa led the Japanese League in strikeouts in three of the past five seasons. With the type of money invested in him, it's clear that the Yankees' first intention is to use him as a starter - and in the past two seasons Igawa's production in Japan stacks up nicely against the combined average production of the starting pitchers within the back end (fifth starter) of the Yankees' rotation.

Table: Kei Igawa's Statistics (2005-2006, Japanese Central League):

Year	G	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	W	L	ERA	WHIP
2005	27	172.1	199	91	74	60	145	13	9	3.86	1.50
2006	29	209.0	180	77	69	49	194	14	9	2.97	1.10

In 2005, New York deployed pitchers Kevin Brown (4-7, 6.50 ERA), Shawn Chacon (7-3, 2.85), Aaron Small (10-0, 3.20) and Al Leiter (4-5, 5.49) at the back end of the rotation.

In 2006, pitchers Chacon (5-3, 7.00), Cory Lidle (4-3, 5.16), Jeffrey Karstens (2-1, 3.80) and Small (0-3, 8.46) took up the fifth spot in the rotation.

CONCLUSION

In recent seasons, imported pitchers from Japan have been a mixed bag (starting pitchers Hideo Nomo and Kazuhisa Ishii; relief pitchers Shigetoshi Hasegawa and Akinori Otsuka). Most of the projections that translate Igawa's production in Japan to his potential in the U.S. have him as a fourth or fifth starter - exactly where the Yankees see him. With the other upgrades to the rotation, New York does not need Igawa to come up with 15 to 20 wins. A steady and reliable performer that eats innings is most desirable for the team in 2007 regarding the fifth spot.

BOTTOM LINE

Projections for Igawa at this time run the spectrum as his role has yet to be defined. If he does secure a fourth of fifth starting spot, he (like all of the other starters) should benefit from the Yankees' potent lineup. If he puts up 28 to 30 starts, look for Igawa to come up with nine to 12 wins. As with all players coming over from Japan (Matsuzaka included), there is substantial risk. Look for a higher level of reward from Igawa in a long-term keeper fantasy situation.

KFFLians are saying....

Comment

 

---

What do you think? We want to hear from you!

Name: E-mail: Please, enter the number that you see

Comment Guidelines

Steven Kraser

Steven Kraser is a management consultant for the sports management and entertainment business. He has consulted for professional and college franchises, leagues and news agencies in the areas of strategy, finance, and business operations. He has been a KFFL Contributor since 2003.

Talk Sports 24/7!
KFFL Sports Forums: Over 24,000 strong and growing!

One Day FREE Fantasy Contest - $350 in cash prizes (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Brian Roberts seeing the light at the end of the rehab tunnel (05/24)
Fantasy baseball players in the news (05/24)
Fantasy football players in the news (05/24)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Dee Gordon's problems at bat (05/23)
Fantasy Baseball Player Prospecting: Will Smith, Yordano Ventura, Wil Myers, more (05/23)
Fantasy Baseball Roundtable: How trade talks develop (05/23)
Fantasy Baseball Closer Hot Seat: Tyler Clippard, J.J. Putz (05/23)
Fantasy Baseball Diamond Market: Mark Teixeira's ill beginnings (05/23)
Fantasy NASCAR race preview: Coca-Cola 600 (05/23)