Yankees come to an agreement with Hiroki Kuroda

According to a tweet from ESPN’s Buster Olney, the New York Yankees have come to agreement with starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda on one year deal worth $15 million to return to the Bronx in 2013.

The Yankees have come to an agreement with Hiroki Kuroda on a one-year deal worth $15 million. (Image: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE)

As recently as Sunday, it was made known by a “close friend” that Kuroda preferred to head to Southern California because his young daughters were in school there. It seemed at the time that both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels were in on Kuroda.

Then within minutes of each other this evening Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweeted that neither team was interested in Kuroda. Shortly thereafter Olney’s tweet came.

Kuroda’s signing makes Andy Pettitte the Yankees next priority and alleviates any pressure general manager Brian Cashman was feeling in regards to his rotation. It is believed that Pettitte will return.

The deal includes less than $1 million in incentives for Kuroda who went 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA this season.

I’ll provide a full analysis on the financial implications of the deal in reference to the production to be expected from Kuroda separately.