Fukudome to Cubs: Latest- Almost a Done Deal, per AM 1000

[Invader3K]

Santana is a pitcher though...I understand the wait for Cabrera's situation to be finalized, but the Santana "lottery" shouldn't really affect the Brewers' movement on position players. I can't believe teams are waiting to sign Fukudome based on Santana probably going to the Red Sox.

[Brian the Automator]

Santana is a pitcher though...I understand the wait for Cabrera's situation to be finalized, but the Santana "lottery" shouldn't really affect the Brewers' movement on position players. I can't believe teams are waiting to sign Fukudome based on Santana probably going to the Red Sox.

A Santana deal would hold up a Sheets deal which would net position players.

 

[Invader3K]

Very true. I didn't get that you were coming from that angle.

[JohnBriggs12]

The reason the Brewers can't make moves is because their "bait" of 3 number 5 starters isn't appealing enough to teams that could fill those slots either internally or through free agency. Once the FA pitching market (as bad as it is) dries up, guys like Capuano, Bush, and Vargas will start looking better. Whether there will be players out there left that interest the Brewers by that time is another thing.

 

To get anything done now would take trading Sheets, or either Parra or Villanueva and Melvin is averse to all 3 of those possibilities.

[jwill535]

right now its a buyers market, so like others have said, once the shelves start to empty out i would imagine there will be more movement. I could see Vargas or Bush being with the Brewers in ST then getting traded halfway through.

[jjfanec]

I think once Lohse and Silva sign the Brewers pitchers will get even more attention. Not everyone can trade for a Santana, Bedard, or Haren, so the Brewers offering some nice 4th or 5th man options which are still valuable pieces. I think our starters will take longer to trade, but once the dust settles teams will be looking are hard at them

[Nader Raider Tim]

Has Fukodome even declared that he is going to come over to play in the MLB this year? Last I heard he was stilll contemplating an offer from the Japanese League's top team, and had yet to actually make himself available to MLB teams. Im at school right now so I don't have time to get the link, but I am pretty sure that this was from a foxsports.com article. The article did state that he pretty much gauranteed to come to the MLB, just that he had yet to declare his availability.

[TooLiveBrew]

The latest update (from another thread) is that the Pads have the inside track to signing Fukudome. In other words, this is still all up in the air.

[erbacaine04]

Ok there was an article back around the start of Free Agentcey and they talked about the Japanese players and Melvin said we talked to Fukudome agent and there just did not seem to be any interest there in us...and then said that he has not yet figured out if he is coming to the United States to play anyway.

 

This was a while back and I just tried to look for the article but I cant find it....

 

 

If Fukudome gets signed by the Cubs its not that big of a deal.... he would hit maybe 15 Hrs....have a .285Ba/ .360OBP... its not like they are signing the Japanese Babe Ruth or something.... relax

 

I am anxious to better this team to, but we have improved just by it being 2008

 

We now will have a full year of Ryan Braun's bat

A full year of Yovanni's Arm in the Rotation

A full year of Villy's arm in the Rotation

A healthy Weeks to start the season

A catcher that can call a good game and has a decent OBP

A Center Fielder that improved vastly after a terrible Defensive April, also now can get back to concentrating on hitting

We will probably have Manny parra's arm up here all year as well

We signed a better version of Linebrink and have him for a full year(Riske has comparable stats, but did it all while being in the AL)

oh and Fielder, Braun, Hart, Hardy, Weeks, Hall, Yovanni, and the rest of the young guys are all a year older and a year wiser in terms of baseball knowledge

Plus Yost gained a year of knowledge and saw some of his mistakes at the end of the year... plus he has a short leash with Simmions being up here.

All of these things can and should equal more wins

 

the loss of Cordero loses us 4 more games... but the above nets us 12 games

[TheCouga23]

^^^ Good analysis. The Cubs haven't really improved at all this year, and all their core players are one more year over the hill. That and their unusually good seasons in 2007 from Marquis, Lilly and Hill will cost them a few wins.

[TooLiveBrew]

I haven't seen any site that's nearly as complete as this one: Japanbaseballdaily.com

 

Apologies if that's not the real name of the site, but it's the right link. Fukudome stats, along with many others. The stats are all in the "Retired Japanese [Player] Stats." The "retired" part threw me at first. For reference in this thread, Fukudome's stats follow:

 

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	TB	Sac	SF	K	BB	IBB	HBP	SB	CS	GIDP	ARISP	AVG	OBP	SLG
1999	132	526	461	76	131	25	2	16	52	208	8	2	121	50	1	5	4	7	3		.284	.359	.451
2000	97	368	316	50	80	18	2	13	42	141	2	2	79	45	4	3	8	5	5		.253	.350	.446
2001	120	442	375	51	94	22	2	15	56	165	4	3	90	56	4	4	8	4	4		.251	.352	.440
2002	140	608	542	85	186	42	3	19	65	291	0	5	96	56	2	5	4	2	4		.343	.406	.537
2003	140	617	528	107	165	30	11	34	96	319	1	6	118	78	1	4	10	5	5	.279	.313	.401	.604
2004	92	404	350	61	97	19	7	23	81	199	1	2	93	48	0	3	8	3	3	.261	.277	.367	.569
2005	142	612	515	102	169	39	6	28	103	304	0	3	128	93	3	1	13	5	8	.329	.328	.430	.590
2006	130	578	496	117	174	47	5	31	104	324	0	3	94	76	4	3	11	2	4	.357	.351	.438	.653
2007	81	348	269	64	79	22	0	13	48	140	0	4	66	69	3	6	5	2	5	.318	.294	.443	.520
Totals	1074	4503	3852	713	1175	264	38	192	647	2091	16	30	885	571	22	34	71	35	41		.305	.389	.542

Sweet! The whole chart pasted. I have no abilities in making charts like that look pretty. Better lucky than good, right?

[southpaw121505]

I really wonder why we haven't heard even a peep of being linked to even wanting him, considering he seems perfect for what we want. The only thing I can think of is that word is he is going to demand a ridiculous contract. Does this boggle anyone else?

We're Milwaukee, they're Chicago. Makes sense to me. Unless the Brewers were consistent contenders for the pennant, I can't picture any foreign free agent looking at Milwaukee over Chicago.

Andruw Jones was never going to come here in reality, but we still heard Melvin had an ounce of interest or at the very least put in a word to Boras regarding Jones. I was questioning why were aren't expressing interest in him, not if he'd be interested in us.

 

Plus, if we put the best offer on the table, he'd come to Milwaukee. Not that we can or will, but I just don't buy that he wouldn't consider Milwaukee.

[Brewtacular]

Putting the best offer together for Fukudome is not going to get him here. The reality is that Japan is very much concerned with image/prestige. Milwaukee does not appear on the radar of nearly anyone in Japan. Most baseball fans could not name the team or locate it on map. Futhermore "Milwaukee" and to some extent Brewers is very hard to pronounce in Japanese. I cannot imagine any big time Japanese free agent coming to Milwaukee unless the deal is significantly better than a more `prestigous` city.

[splitterpfj]

Brewtacular, I agree that Fukudome will not be playing here next year, but Japanese free agents have signed in both Cleveland and Kansas City this winter, and a third is currently considering Pittsburgh - I sure hope the Brewers' management doesn't assume it's impossible with Japanese talent.

[Team Canada]

Boy would I love me some .400+ OBP.

[areacodes]

Brewtacular, I agree that Fukudome will not be playing here next year, but Japanese free agents have signed in both Cleveland and Kansas City this winter, and a third is currently considering Pittsburgh - I sure hope the Brewers' management doesn't assume it's impossible with Japanese talent.

We've signed Japanese players in the past and the Royals were able to sign Yabuta easier since the Royals new manager, Trey Hillman, managed in Japan for the last 5 years.

 

[homer]

Hideo Nomo anyone? He resurrected his career in Milwaukee. I'm sure plenty of Japanese fans remember that.

[crewcrazy]

What I've been hearing and reading is that Fukudome would prefer to take less money and play on the West Coast than take more money and play for Chicago or Kansas City if the offers were reasonably close. Also, the fact that he only wants three years -- no more, no less -- probably helps the Padres more than the Cubs, since the Cubs can't snag him by offering more total money over more years like they did with Soriano last year. Fukudome only wants 3 years because he allegedly wants to go back to finish his career in Japan after this short tour in the United States.

 

Sandy Alderson was quoted as saying that the Padres offered Fukudome one of the 3 or 4 highest offers they've ever offered a player in their franchise history -- that could be around $12-13M over 3 years, if I remember correctly.

[homer]

Good lord I hope the Cubs don't get him.

[Brewtacular]

Hideo Nomo anyone? He resurrected his career in Milwaukee. I'm sure plenty of Japanese fans remember that.

Big money on the fact that they dont. The media tends to overstate the interest the average Japanese fan has in MLB.

 

In response to the others, yes free agents have signed with other small market teams...KC with hillman is certainly a different scenario...Fukudome is much more a star in the order of Ichiro/Matsui`s/Matsuzaka. This somewhat limits his choice to a larger, more well known, market. Cultural aspects play much more into this than the average free agent. Tampa, KC, San Diego, have all made splashes but I really think Milwaukee would have to settle for a lesser known star. I think a star would rather play for Yomiuri than Milwaukee.

 

[Invader3K]

Futhermore "Milwaukee" and to some extent Brewers is very hard to pronounce in Japanese.

I tend to doubt that would factor into any decision.

 

[southpaw121505]

Futhermore "Milwaukee" and to some extent Brewers is very hard to pronounce in Japanese.

I tend to doubt that would factor into any decision.

 

 

I was just going to say..are you serious?

[Brewtacular]

Futhermore "Milwaukee" and to some extent Brewers is very hard to pronounce in Japanese.

I tend to doubt that would factor into any decision.

 

I was just going to say..are you serious?

I was speaking about the fan base and the common fan in Japan...not that it would contribute to the decision. Simply stating a fact about the language and something that could somehow play into the process.

 

[Invader3K]

I really don't think it could somehow play into the process at all.

[Brewtacular]

Certainly it does. Bottom line is that image/prestige plays a part in the culture and since he is a fairly big star that will be part of his decision. The lack of knowledge about Milwaukee from the common fan makes it less desirable. Number of reasons why most people dont know about Milw. but the pronounciation plays some part in that.