The New York Yankees denied interest in Los Angeles Dodgers free agent starting pitcher Hiroki Kuroda back on Dec. 10. Specifically, New York denied a rumor that the club had offered Kuroda a one-year deal worth $12 million (Kuroda made $12 million in 2011 for the Dodgers). The Yankees are reportedly interested in Kuroda now.
Hiroki Kuroda is indeed willing to leave California (and the NL).
#RedSox and#Yankees among clubs pursuing him, sources say. (via Jon Morosi's Twitter)
After playing in Japan for a decade, Kuroda pitched for the Dodgers for four seasons and went 41-46 with a 3.45 ERA and 523 strikeouts. In 2011, Kuroda was 13-16 and posted a 3.07 ERA and 161 strikeouts. The ERA was the lowest of Kuroda's MLB career. The 13 wins, 16 losses and 161 strikeouts were also career highs.
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