The Dodgers Spending and the Market for Hiroki Kuroda

There are things to admire about Ned Colletti. He’s decisive and unapologetic as to what he believes in building a team; he’s acquitted himself as a professional during the Frank McCourt vs Everyone legal inferno; and he doesn’t play games.

But it’s difficult to find justification in signing Chris Capuano to a 2-year, $10 million contract to replace Hiroki Kuroda.

Kuroda is durable; Capuano is not.

Kuroda has great stuff and can get away with not being at the top of his game; Capuano is a fastball/changeup pitcher who has to have his control to be effective.

Capuano is an intelligent man and intense competitor; Kuroda is mean.

Capuano is willing to pitch inside and knock people off the plate as a correlation to strategy; Kuroda does it because he likes to do it.

If the Dodgers are going to imply that money was a major issue to retaining Kuroda, how do they equate that with signing Mark Ellis for a guaranteed $8.75 million; Juan Rivera for $4.5 million; Adam Kennedy to a guaranteed $800,000; and having given Juan Uribe $21 million last year? They even gave a million dollars to Matt Treanor.

Matt Treanor!

The Dodgers can’t claim that they don’t have the money for Kuroda after extending Matt Kemp with $160 million.

They either have money buried, a big credit limit or the hopes of income from somewhere in the future because they’ve been spending it now.

Colletti prefers to do all his shopping early in the winter before he’s left desperate in January and February, but sometimes it behooves an executive to wait and see with the non-tenders, trade targets and players who are left on the outside looking in; they might grow desperate for work as spring training approaches and be available cheaply.

For a team with multiple issues—both financial and on-field—it made no sense to spend so capriciously on mediocrity and worse.

In addition to his on-field ability, what makes Kuroda so attractive is that he’s not seeking the type of contract a pitcher of his stature normally would on the open market. Like Roy Oswalt, he’s not walking around with dollar signs in his eyes and an overinflated opinion of both himself and the rampant executive stupidity like that which led the Nationals to give Jayson Werth $126 million.

Kuroda could’ve secured a 3-year contract last season, but wanted to stay with the Dodgers and signed for 1-year at $12 million.

Few are truly appreciating how good Hiroki Kuroda is. Are they blinded by his under .500 record? Are they ignoring him?

He’s said to prefer to stay on the West Coast but if his map expands, the Yankees and Red Sox would both be after him; the Angels opened a spot in their rotation when they traded Tyler Chatwood; they’re not getting into a bidding war for Wilson nor are they going to satisfy his stated desire for $120 million—no one is.

Kuroda’s a perfect fit in Anaheim and it would be a brilliant addition to a rotation that is going to be among the best in baseball.

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Rangers Sign Nathan, Shift Feliz

If the Rangers harbored any hopes of keeping C.J. Wilson, they were extinguished with Wilson’s expressed desire for a $120 million contract from…someone.

The Yankees aren’t giving it to him. No one’s giving it to him. Wilson might ultimately wind up with the Yankees, but it’s going to be for less-than $100 million.

With that in mind, the Rangers did the next best thing and in a savvy bit sleight-of-role, they signed Joe Nathan to a 2-year, $14.5 million contract with an option for 2014 at $9 million and a $500,000 buyout.

Nathan was inconsistent for the Twins in returning from Tommy John surgery in 2011 and was replaced as closer by Matt Capps; he regained the job late in the season and pitched well. He’s put up big strikeout numbers in his career and will rack up the saves; he’s struggled in the post-season, especially against the Yankees.

That’s something to keep in the back of your mind. But nothing to worry about now.

This was a domino-effect signing.

The Rangers get their closer at a reasonable rate, far cheaper than the Phillies paid for Jonathan Papelbon and well below the demands of Ryan Madson and Francisco Rodriguez; Nathan, if he’s back to form, is better than Madson and K-Rod; they don’t surrender a draft pick; they’re not rolling the dice with veterans (Brad Lidge) or those coming off injuries and shellshock (Jonathan Broxton); they’re not paying a mediocre starter for his attendance record to plug in the 220 innings they’re losing with Wilson’s departure; and they insert former closer Neftali Feliz into the rotation once and for all with no ambiguity, getting star potential in the rotation at a reduced price.

Don’t expect Feliz to suddenly throw 200 innings in 2012. His limit will be closer to the 170 Alexi Ogando threw as he transitioned from the bullpen to the rotation; but the Rangers have the horses to account for any limits on Feliz.

The success of this maneuver is contingent on how Feliz handles the switch and if Nathan is back to his old self, but logically, it’s the smart and financially sound move.

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