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November 15, 2007

Nippon Prospectus

Potential Free Agent Imports

by Mike Plugh

At the start of the 2007 season, I introduced a list of players possibly primed to make the jump from Japan to the majors. This list included both free agents and posting candidates that had been whispered about in the Japanese and American press. Free agency is a fairly straightforward process, where names are available for discussion well in advance of the seasons close. Posting, on the other hand, is highly subjective, and is essentially a guessing game. I will attempt to bring you some analysis in the piece centered on the free agent crop, and follow up at a future date with information regarding posting situations as they become more clear.

Looking at the free agents, I will organize the names according to tiers. Top-tier free agents are players who should command the attention of every MLB club, and who stand a good chance at contributing on an everyday basis with superior results. Think about Ichiro, Godzilla, Dice-K—first-name basis players. The second-tier free agents are players who will command limited but significant attention from major league clubs, and can play a valuable specialized role on a regular basis. Think Hideki Okajima, Kazuo Matsui, Akinori Iwamura, and Takashi Saito. Finally, tertiary-tiered free agents are players who might be on the radar of some clubs, but stand little chance to contribute on an everyday basis. Essentially, these players can play a role from the bench. Think So Taguchi.

This is not a complete list of free agents. I have chosen the names that should be on the MLB radar based on skill and the potential to stick with a major league club in some capacity. There may be other names worthy of discussion, but hey, this is my list. Also, to be eligible these players must opt to pursue free agency. They have the right, but many Japanese players traditionally stay with the home team out of loyalty. That is changing year by year, especially with the real possibility of a MLB payday out there, but it is noteworthy nonetheless. Surefire Hall of Famer Nobuhiko Matsunaka of SoftBank is technically a free agent, but he signed a seven-year extension at the start of this season and indicated he had no plans to move. A few years ago, he would have been an All-Star player in MLB, but he has declined significantly in the last two years.

The Top Tier

Kosuke Fukudome, OF, Chunichi Dragons
Height: 6'0" Weight: 187 Bats: Left Throws: Right Age: 30