Apologies for neglecting to post on the Royals’ signing of Japanese reliever, Yasuhiko Yabuta. Despite my snide title above, this move does make some sense from a business standpoint. Japan has become a crucial source of talent for MLB clubs, and perhaps the signing of Yabuta will make other Japanese players — like sought-after starter Hiroki Kuroda — more comfortable going to play in Kansas City.
In this light, the move is reminiscent of Hideki Okajima’s signing with the Red Sox last off-season. After the signing, and before the Sox signed Dice-K, Theo Epstein said: “He’s going be a valuable member of our bullpen. But, if we do end up with two Japanese pitchers, that certainly would help the assimilation process, not only on the field but also off the field.”
Because I feel nothing but pity for Royals’ fans, I truly hope this signing works out as well as Okajima’s signing did for the Red Sox. The best thing Yabuta has going for him, as was the case for Jeemer, is that Major League hitters have never seen him before. Not anywhere close to the best thing going for him is that he “register[ed] 86 holds over the last three seasons for the Chibe Lotte Marines in the Pacific League.”
