Report: Sox make offer to Kawakami

[a700hitter]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/

 

This is the answer to Sabbathia and Burnett? Who is this guy?

[yankeessuck013]

Jim Allen - ESPN

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove08/news/story?id=3717007

 

Like Kuroda, Kawakami is a bulldog on the mound, but the right-hander's durability became an issue after he hit the skids following a 9-1 start in 2006. His ERA jumped more than 2.5 runs after June 23 that season, and he finished 17-7. Scouts Isao Ojimi of the New York Mets and Steve Wilson of the Chicago Cubs said Kawakami, who was 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA this season, would be a good fit in the majors as a fifth starter and will benefit from as much extra rest as he can get.

 

Unlike Kuroda, who put together mouth-watering ERAs despite pitching in Japan's best hitters' park, Kawakami's 3.22 career ERA was fashioned in an extreme pitchers' park with one of the country's better defensive units playing behind him.

 

Kawakami likely has the best cutter in Japan. Although he has exceptional control with his 92 mph fastball, it lacks movement and gets hit hard. He also has a two-seamer that runs in on right-handers, a slider and a slow curve. Kawakami experimented with a forkball this year, and his groundouts increased sharply. Because of his tenacity and his command, Kawakami should adjust to the challenges of the majors.

 

Law (insider link only):

 

Kawakami reminds me too much of Kei Igawa to ignore it, but he's here on the basis of a pretty strong track record of missing bats in Japan. He sits in the upper 80s with a very straight fastball; he's been more homer-prone in Japan than Igawa was, and that pitch's lack of movement is the major reason why. He throws a potentially above-average cutter and can generate some ground balls with it, but it's not a clear out pitch. None of his offerings (he also throws a slow curve and a forkball with good-not-great diving action) is good enough to project that he'll strike out hitters here as he did in Nippon Professional Baseball. He throws a ton of strikes and was mostly durable through his career in Japan, although he missed some time in September with back trouble. He's a back-end starter for a National League club.

 

NPB: http://www.npbtracker.com/2008/07/player-profile-kenshin-kawakami/

 

Stuff

Kawakami isn't overpowering; his fastball tops out in the low 90's. His control is good, though not quite as awe-inspiring as Koji Uehara's. And his windup isn't deceptive, like many Japanese pitchers. Kawakami gets by purely on quality stuff.

 

Kawakami's featured pitch is a cut fastball, which, according to Wikipedia, is known as Japan's finest among visiting MLB All-Stars. He also has a slow curve, which he throws at 65-70 MPH. The rest of his arsenal is fairly typical: fastball, shuuto, fork. He changes speeds pretty well, particularly between his curve and harder stuff.

 

I can't imagine anyone topping that. I'd rather have lowe.

[yankeessuck013]

Rotoworld:

 

The Red Sox have offered Kenshin Kawakami a three-year, $21 million contract, according to Nikkan Sports.

Our Japanese is a little rusty, but the report clearly says 19 billion yen and the Boston Globe's Japanese reporter confirms the rest. This is about what we figured Kawakami would go for. He has a below average fastball, but his command is excellent and he mixes his pitches well. He should be at least a No. 4 starter in the U.S.

[Redsox20042007Celtics2008]

Epstein has a fettish with these Asians.. Overrated GM.

[Redsox20042007Celtics2008]

Amile Benjamin saying no offer to Kawakami. Hope she's right f*** him... D-Lowe or nothing please, thank you.

[Cocos Disciples]

Epstein has a fettish with these Asians.. Overrated GM.

 

Okajima and Matsuzaka suck, right?

[Dipre]

It has in fact been reported that said offer is non-existent.

[Cocos Disciples]

Well nevermind then.

[BSN07]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/

 

This is the answer to Sabbathia and Burnett? Who is this guy?

 

Why does it have to be an answer to the Yanks?

 

Don't forget the Yanks and Sox aren't even, the Yanks are playing catch up. The Sox have the luxury of not having to counter punch everything the Yanks do.

 

Everyone is freaking out about CC and Burnett. CC will be lucky to duplicate Mussina's numbers last season. And Burnett is a career notch above .500 with reliability issues.

 

Haven't the Sox moves in recent years been better then the Yanks.

 

You don't have to counter everything. Look what happened when the Sox signed Dice-K. The Yanks where outbid and the fans where mad. They had to do something in return. So the completely overbid for Igawa. And looked how that turned out.

 

 

 

A700, your gonna end up with arthritis in those easily reactive knees of yours.

[BSN07]

9:53pm: Amalie Benjamin says the reported Red Sox offer to Kawakami is not accurate.

 

See got your blood pressure up for nothing.

[jacksonianmarch]

this guy sounds like a 5th starter in the NLW. He sounds like cannon fodder in the ALE.

[CrespoBlows]

He sounds like Paul Byrd.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBcLCirMa4Q

 

He might be the answer to our 4th OF problem.

[a700hitter]

You don't have to counter everything.

Lucchino today said that the Sox don't have to react to everything the Yankees do, but he acknowledged that each year the Sox need to make moves to improve the team, because the other teams, especially the Yankees will improve themselves.

[BoSox21]

Braves signed him

[BSN07]

Good