Kuroda chooses Dodgers?

[Fan4Life]

http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071213&content_id=2324544&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea

Seattle strongly pursued free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda from Japan, increasing an original three-year offer worth $36 million, to four years, but he apparently has decided to take less money and pitch for the Dodgers.

That could become official as early as Friday, pending a physical. Kuroda reportedly agreed to a three-year, $33 million offer for three reasons: the Dodgers will be playing their 50th anniversary season in Los Angeles in 2008, Joe Torre is the manager and Kuroda believes the Dodgers have a better chance of winning the National League West or Wild Card than the Mariners have of winning the AL West or Wild Card.

A little after mdinight this morning isn't the most recent update, but this sounds fairly sure, not just specualtion. Not a surprise either. Hopefully we can press the Mariners or Reds for what we want....

[Rockbird]

I hope he brings them as much happiness as Kei Igawa and Hideki Irabu brought the Yankees.

[glenn__davis]

One of the reasons hes (possibly) signing is because it's their 50th year in LA?

What's that have to do with the price of beans?

[Captain E.]

Isn't this like the 4th or 5th time Kuroda has chosen to sign with the Dodgers this week?

[Sports Guy]

Where there is smoke, there is fire...I am sure he is going to go to LA.

[Rockbird]

Isn't this like the 4th or 5th time Kuroda has chosen to sign with the Dodgers this week?

It's a pretty good scam he's got going, ain't it? He'll probably be on the first flight back to Japan before Colleti realizes his bank account has been drained to $0!

[AgentOrange]

One of the reasons hes (possibly) signing is because it's their 50th year in LA?

What's that have to do with the price of beans?

I think he was looking for all the free commemorative schwag.

[ijoshyounot]

Where there is smoke, there is fire...I am sure he is going to go to LA.

Not so fast. He could just as easily be pandering to get a bigger contract from a different team. I remember reading that Fukodome signed with some other team before it came out that he signed with the Cubs. Well it turns out the Cubs didn't even give him the biggest offer, but he had decided thats where he wanted to play. All I'm saying is who knows. It aint official tills its official and its totally conceivable that Kurudo is using LA as a bargaining chip to land where he actually wants to land.

[MCO'sFan]

Not so fast. He could just as easily be pandering to get a bigger contract from a different team. I remember reading that Fukodome signed with some other team before it came out that he signed with the Cubs. Well it turns out the Cubs didn't even give him the biggest offer, but he had decided thats where he wanted to play. All I'm saying is who knows. It aint official tills its official and its totally conceivable that Kurudo is using LA as a bargaining chip to land where he actually wants to land.

Sounds like a whole lot of wishful thinking to me!

[UMterp08]

Kuroda reportedly agreed to a three-year, $33 million offer for three reasons: the Dodgers will be playing their 50th anniversary season in Los Angeles in 2008

makes perfect sense.