Iwakuma Wants To Stay With Mariners

[TellItToTheDA]

http://seattletimes.com/html/mariners/2019119395_mariners11.html


Hisashi Iwakuma insists he did more than gather splinters while working long relief for the Mariners the first half of the season.

In fact, the Japanese veteran, who turned 31 in April, says those initial months helped him adjust to a very different life in the major leagues, both on and off the field. Iwakuma now feels he's back to pitching the way he once did in Japan and — with a new agent — wants to stay in Seattle on a deal that extends beyond the 2013 season.

Which means the Mariners will have some thinking to do this winter as they weigh how much of a risk to take, going off the half-season of starts Iwakuma has made.

"For me, my family comes first and this is the best place to be for my family and me," Iwakuma said, through interpreter Daisuke Sekiba, a friend he brought with him from Japan when he signed a $1.5 million, incentive-laden deal last winter. "I love this team and I hope I can play here the next few years."

Iwakuma says his wife, Madoka, and children, Towa and Uta, have adjusted nicely to life in the Seattle area.

[bigsexyy81]

Up and down season but he's had more good games than bad I believe. You figure Millwood is gone next year, but we'll keep Felix, Vargas, and Beavan and at least one of the big three come up... might still be a spot left for him.

[Igoe4Mariners]

I think it'd be a good idea to bring him back as a No. 5 guy. I like him better than Beavan.

[206HoopsFan]

He looked awful at first but has looked very good since he seemingly put things together. I would have no problem with signing him again for another year, even as a long reliever.

[TellItToTheDA]

He looked awful at first but has looked very good since he seemingly put things together. I would have no problem with signing him again for another year, even as a long reliever.

Long reliever? I would happily give him a deal in the range of 2 years, $14 million to start. From Lookout Landing:


Iwakuma has made a dozen starts since July 2, always getting regular turns, and that's the relevant information we have to go on. He's averaged just under six innings a go, and he's posted a 2.80 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 25 unintentional walks. He hasn't shown any signs of fatigue. He's posted about the same groundball rate as Doug Fister, about the same contact rate as Jered Weaver, and about the same xFIP as Jordan Zimmermann. His FIP is rubbing shoulders with Mat Latos', and Iwakuma probably shouldn't be counted on to allow home runs at the same rate as he has. If he were that easy to square up, he probably wouldn't have a .273 BABIP and an above-average strikeout rate.

Those are the numbers. It's easy to note that they're inflated by a 13-strikeout performance against a depleted Blue Jays team, but you can't just throw out exceptionally good performances while keeping unusually bad performances, and that start is a relevant data point. Iwakuma proved that he can do that, just like he proved that he can go a start with three walks and zero strikeouts, as he did against Texas. We always care most about the overall picture, and the overall picture has Iwakuma being a perfectly competent middle-of-the-rotation starter.

[206HoopsFan]

Long reliever? I would happily give him a deal in the range of 2 years, $14 million to start. From Lookout Landing:

I don't disagree with any of that, all I was saying was that even if there are more viable options to start next year he could still have a place on this team.

[BigMoney]

Number 5 guy? Long man? Do you guys really think that the Mariners will have 4-5 starters better than Iwakuma at the start of next year?

[evergreenmachine]

Felix
Vargas
Iwakuma

And two of
Beavan
Erasmo
Furbush
Hultzen

[JosephC]

Right now for me, it's

Felix
Vargas
Iwakuma
Beavan
Hultzen

No flatball Noesi, absolutely not!

[Igoe4Mariners]

Number 5 guy? Long man? Do you guys really think that the Mariners will have 4-5 starters better than Iwakuma at the start of next year?

Hultzen will probably be ready sometime next year and another of the young pitchers might be as well. Iwak has pretty average stuff. Hultzen has elite stuff and somebody like Ramirez, who has bettet stuff, could improve as well.

[TellItToTheDA]

Long reliever? I would happily give him a deal in the range of 2 years, $14 million to start. From Lookout Landing:

I would like to take a second and point out that I absolutely aced this.