According to former Braves MLB beat writer intern turned full time Pirates MLB beat writer Jenifer Langosch, the Pirates could be players on Kenshin Kawakami:
The Braves are looking to part ways with starter Kenshin Kawakami and, according to one source, the Pirates have shown some interest in the right-hander this offseason. That certainly makes sense, given that the Pirates are searching anywhere and everywhere for starting pitching and that Kawakami is expendable to the Braves.
Kawakami, 35, is set to make $6.667 million in 2011, the final year of a three-year deal he signed with Atlanta. The Braves know that they will have to pick up a significant amount of that salary in order to trade Kawakami, so the cost to acquire him would likely only be $1-2 million. Atlanta is not believed to be seeking any significant player return, either.
AJC beat writer David O'Brien is also reporting that the Athletics are being discussed as a possible destination for Kawakami. If the Braves chose either of those team they would likely have to pick up a significant portion of Kawakami's salary, something they seem willing to do to write any part of it off their books. Any salary relief we receive from a Kawakami deal would likely be used on a utility player or another bullpen pitcher.
0 recs | 67 comments
Sayonara!
So long to the Dragon Slayer…
TBuzz - December 6, 2010
Not the Pirates they just signed Scott Olsen and we all know he’s a better option than K.K. now the A’s maybe but Olsen is better and I would choose him 10 times outta 10
BravesMania - December 6, 2010
So...
KK would go 0-10 against Scott Olsen…
just like he did against the National League?
:)
HalleyGator - December 6, 2010
Haha BURN.
The Keith Lockhart Era - December 6, 2010
So teams only need 1 SP now?
Dang, then we just freed up a lot of salary since we dont’ need Lowe, Huddy or Jurrjens.
justincredubil02 - December 6, 2010
Apparently, you only need one when it is Scott Olsen.
Not sure why he’s better than KK, either.
cavebird - December 6, 2010
Comparing #s since KK entered the league...
he’s not. Even I would have trouble arguing that.
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
I would argue that he’s been even worse; at least KK’s put up a positive WAR.
swainzy - December 6, 2010
And looking at their numbers...
you’d have a pretty strong argument.
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
Oakland might work..
pretty strong Japanese market in the Bay Area, and they could use a back-end starter or two. It might not be a bad deal.
Scott Coleman - December 6, 2010
yea
i definitely see a fit there…especially since negotiations with iwakuma fell apart…
forgotten_glory - December 6, 2010
Just wish she's wrong on eating all...
but $1 or 2m. Keep holding Frank, in a week or two someone will get desperate and be willing to pay upwards of $3 or 4m, if not $5+.
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
This.
justincredubil02 - December 6, 2010
yea
I hope Wren can only eat one or two mil and I think he could get the deal done
Braves24 - December 6, 2010
I hope you know that eating paper is not healthy.
swainzy - December 6, 2010
Money isn't printed on paper
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
I just know it doesn't grow on trees.
Tarkus - December 6, 2010
Yeah, I know.
It’s actually made out of some sort of cotton fiber. It just wouldn’t have had the same humorous effect to say “I hope you know that eating cotton-fiber material isn’t healthy.”
swainzy - December 6, 2010
Hate paying that much money for someone else’s pitcher. I guess it’s necessary though.
Unless we get someone to pay at least 3M, I think I’d rather keep him in Gwinnett as an emergency plan for injuries and young arms.
someguy1 - December 6, 2010
It's not necessary
kbertling353 - December 6, 2010
I dislike this whole situation...
Gah…KK is not that bad. Really. I know he needs to go, but we botched this whole process…
Jman781 - December 6, 2010
Amen.
justincredubil02 - December 6, 2010
yearp
kbertling353 - December 6, 2010
+1
Braves24 - December 6, 2010
See ya KK
Heck at this point I would take old C. Thomas back granted he only had one good season with us and basically fill off the map as far as MLB regs in the lineup card for A’s and I have no idea if they still have him etc… but dumping KK is necessary to improve this club. Braves overpaided for really him first and D. Lowe second but atleast D.Lowe has one to two good years left in the tank where as KK was washed up when we signed him from Japan.
Salary relief is need trade him to anybody today please.
Holty_Panthers_Fan - December 6, 2010
we could just release him
someguy1 - December 6, 2010
....and eat the salary.
Wait! I get it!
AvoidTheDolphin - December 6, 2010
Might as well pitch him in AA
As long as we’re stuck paying him and he isn’t taking up a spot on the 40 man roster. Who knows. Maybe we can deal him and save a couple million to invest in another lefty out of the pen.
roberty - December 6, 2010
Okay, I've never been the biggest KK fan....
But I don’t understand how some people seem to think Nate is “owed” the opportunity to prove that last season was a fluke, yet KK is not. Decent numbers, zero run support. Do we have better options to fill out OUR rotation? Yeah, probably. But I’d rather pay his ridiculous contract for one more year and use him as a glorified insurance policy than give him away just to say we did it. I hope FW decides not to deal him until he can get AT LEAST half the salary and maybe a low-to-mid tier prospect. Even if we go into the season with him, there’s a chance that even if we don’t need him, someone will. And they’ll be desperate enough to pay…I just don’t feel that the offseason market, when there’s glitzier options out there, is the right time to deal
Kudzu Kid - December 6, 2010
The difference is, there’s plenty of younger, cheaper competition that has outperformed KK…unlike McLouth.
I think paying him $6.67MM next year to take away innings from Beachy, Minor, and possibly Teheran later in 2011 is a waste of money…
TBuzz - December 6, 2010
cheaper ?
I think there is a man in our rotation with a pretty hefty contract….
Braves24 - December 6, 2010
Lowe
Isn’t KK’s “competition” so to speak since it’s a given he’s in the rotation.
kauf67 - December 7, 2010
Because McLouth is on the 40 man roster...
and appears slated to start. Kawakami has been removed from the 40 man roster, and we were reportedly set to deal him back to Japan until he said no thanks, and chose to stay here due to a no trade clause back home.
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
It's not a no-trade clause back home.
It is just the general rule that you can’t trade players out of the country without their consent. That KK is Japanese does not make him any different than other players in that regard.
cavebird - December 7, 2010
Gotcha,...
the way I read it, it seemed like a specific clause in KK’s contract, not a general rule covering all players.
Mr. Sanchez - December 7, 2010
Kawakami did not put up decent numbers in 2010.
1.489 WHIP is horrible. He was also worth a whopping -1.0 WAR last year. 46% if the hits he allowed went for extra bases. He also averaged only 5.3 innings per start (16 outs total) and only 89 pitches thrown per start, and he often pitched on extra rest.
McLouth was worth even less than KK last year, but the reality of the situation is the Braves have a lot of young starters they could use instead of Kawakami. They do not have anyone they could start in center field instead of McLouth. I am sure Wren is looking into possible replacements but center fielders are hard to come by currently.
roberty - December 6, 2010
all of those numbers are either misleading or blatantly wrong…Not to mention extra rest does not equate with success, especially when pitchers are used to a routine.
his WHIP was high, and there’s no excuse for that, except an unsustainably high 320 BABiP.
he was worth .8 WAR so I don’t know where you got that number for
He was a decent pitcher last year, he wasnt great…but he was ok….you also cherry picked statistics here, and it is relatively blatant.
Swo12bv - December 6, 2010
"unsustainably high"...
is something I’ll disagree with when guys are squaring you up like KK last year. In 345 at bats, he gave up 45 extra base hits, and an iso of .206. When you’re getting rocked like that, your BABIP will always be high.
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
shut up…stop undermiining my arguments
Swo12bv - December 6, 2010
Kawakami on the Pirates
A fantasy baseball dream scenario. You could pick up whoever is opposing KK every 5 days and rack up serious wins.
roberty - December 6, 2010
$10 says that he gets more run support with the Bucs than he did with us.
justincredubil02 - December 6, 2010
idk
can the Pirates hit against Miguel Batista because the Braves cant
Erihury - December 6, 2010
could he possibly get worse?
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
king felix
kbertling353 - December 6, 2010
KK + salary for Michael Choice. Trade with A´s or
KK + salary for Jose Tabata. Trade with Pirates.
joshant - December 6, 2010
Is Salary better than Cash? I hear Cash is all the rage these days.
justincredubil02 - December 6, 2010
i´m not sure, the source is not very confindent. Klaw´s scouting report says
97-99 mph fastball
over average slider
and a cutter like Mo´s cutter
He is likely to become a closer, although can be a starter. Klaw says he can be the next Mo.
joshant - December 6, 2010
Well Justin...
Cash is just as good as money :)
jdmarine - December 6, 2010
none of those are likely, i mean Jose Tabata got votes for the ROY….
;)
Swo12bv - December 6, 2010
well played sir, well played.
jdmarine - December 6, 2010
Maybe if we can send like $50m on top of the $6.667 owed?
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
not sure if srs
kbertling353 - December 6, 2010
you seriously don't get it, joshant
KK has NO VALUE. None. Zip. Teams would be doing us a favor by taking him.
Choice and Tabata are both young, controlled for years, cheap, and pretty good.
apoxonbothyourhouses - December 7, 2010
This.
We send cash and get a nobody in return if we trade KK. That’s just the way it is right now. Oh, and Choice cannot be traded yet anyway.
cavebird - December 7, 2010
KK for Rickie Weeks. Get it done, Wren!
UMDBHIK - December 6, 2010
I suppose if the Brewers will give up Lawrie for Marcum this is possible
Swo12bv - December 6, 2010
your underselling Marcum...
he has been a very pitcher when healthy. Of course, there should be concerns considering he logged by far his most innings (190+ after career highs in the 150s), in the year after returning from tommy john. But he’s a solid young pitcher for a guy blocked completely by other players (McGehee, Weeks, Hart, Braun).
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
Not sure if this came through, but by Rickie Weeks
I mean Andrew McCutcheon.
UMDBHIK - December 6, 2010
Lastings Milledge?
kreese555 - December 8, 2010
DO IT!
I DON’T CARE IF WE GET THEIR WORST PLAYER, JUST DO IT!
southman - December 6, 2010
Would you prefer we trade KK for Jayson Werth?
kbertling353 - December 6, 2010
yes actually
but we’re not gonna get him because the nats don’t know how to think business, just look at Werth’s contract
southman - December 6, 2010
if you admit the contract is horrible, then why would u want to trade for him?
Swo12bv - December 6, 2010
all I'm saying is that the contract lasts too long
and too much money for the Nats
southman - December 7, 2010
my point is
they aren’t smart enough to trade with us
southman - December 7, 2010
Yes I would...
because if we could afford to take on that massive contract then our payroll limits went up, and we probably got a new, more willing to spend, owner.
Mr. Sanchez - December 6, 2010
One can only hope this is true.
I’d be soooo happy if anyone would eat 2 mil. That’s WAY better than nothing. And we can have close to 3 mil for that utility spot we need to fill.
coachrob - December 6, 2010
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Talking Chop to post a comment.