Free agent signings and others

Tigers have reached an agreement in priniciple with Brooks (Raw Dog) Conrad for a one year contract. It is intended that Conrad will bat No. 4 and field either first or third depending on Takahiro Arai's status. No doubt American readers can comment on whether he will be a success.
Tigers are also pursing Nishioka and hope to meet him on 10th November. Fukudome has indicated an interest in Tigers rather than BayStars (Tigers would waste more money on him). The real surprise is that Tigers are going to go after the fading Orix catcher Hidaka. One can't see this as a positive move - we have Fujii and that's enough. Tigers do not need another catcher from a losing team and really with Komiyama developing as he is don't need him.

Conrad is not a very good defender. He'd played primarily 2nd and 3rd in MLB, but as a defensive liability he's probably best off at 1st base.

Hirano has declared that he will take free agency. Wada's stupidity in sidelining him for the useless Uemoto has obviously taken it's toll. Given his age and ability he may well jump to another team. The plus is that Fukuhara is not going to take free agency but stay with Tigers.

At least Toritani has decided to stay. Finally some good news!

It seems Nishioka has rejected Lotte and is likely to sign with Tigers - an announcement is expected after the end of Fall camp. Tigers will meet with Fukudome shortly and he is also expected to sign given that Tigers showed interest in him throughout his MLB career. Nakamura GM is intending to meet with Hidaka today (16th) with a multi-year deal on offer. One can't stress how short-sighted and stupid this meeting is - a catcher who hasn't been able to hold a regular place in the Orix side for the past 4 seasons and who has struggled with injury. Couple with the fact that he is 35 and one feels that there is another Johjima (though at a lower quality level) in the offing. Still there is a hope on the horizon - Hidaka wants to try MLB so there is always some possibility that an American side will sign him to a AAA contract. Tigers are not really making any effort to pursue Hirano - also showing considerable short-sightedness. Consider this, the money to be spent on Hidaka could usefully be spent on securing Hirano who is a top notch fielder and lead off. He isn't the fastest round the bases but he uses what he has well and always competes. I think it will be interesting to watch the developing disaster (Those who don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it) as the old boys plunge Tigers into the basement.

Back from holiday somewhere warm to find that Nishioka duly signed with Tigers and was awarded No. 7. Shunsuke now takes over No. 40. Unfortunately, Hidaka signed as well and Tigers are still pursuing Fukudome and looking like they will get him. It took two years for Fujii to become a reasonably effective catcher and then only with certain pitchers. Tigers signings for catchers, Fujii and Imanari cannot be said to have justified the amount of money spent on them. One can't help feeling that the coaches and management really don't know what they are doing at all with regard to catchers and are missing the opportunity to develop young talent. This also seems to be the case with Fukudome. If he joins another opportunity for a younger player to develop closes for the next few years (one hopes it's a few years and he doesn't turn out to be another waste of money). Tigers management - clueless and stupid and proud of it.

In a small development Shunsuke has opted for No. 68 not No. 40 as previously reported. Brooks Conrad will wear No. 42.

Hidaka joined Tigers with the No. 37

Kyuji Fujikawa has reportedly signed to the Cubs for next season. Tigers offered Fukudome No. 8 making Asai (who currently wears the number) very unhappy.

Numbers were allocated to the new bugs

Pitchers
No. 19 Shintaro Fujinami
No. 41 Kojiro Tanabo
No. 48 Kazuyuki Kaneda

Catchers
No. 52 Shinya Azuhata

Infielders
No. 2 Fumiya Hojo

Outfielders
No. 65 Ryosuke Ogata

We'll see who makes the top team regularly - Fujinami has the biggest chance here.

Tigers have picked up an ex-Lotte pitcher Keisuke Hayashi. He has no first team experience and has been signed to an ikusei contract. Rather a shot in the dark, this one but cheap.

Details of Fukudome's salary requirements have emerged and to say they take one's breath away would be an understatement. He wants a starting salary of 300 million yen for his first year with performance bonuses of 100 million. If he hit the targets he would receive 400 million yen and this would immediately become his base salary for the second year with of course performance bonuses of 100 million yen. Once again if he hit the targets his salary would hit 500 million base for the third year (which would be guaranteed and not a club option as is on offer from both Tigers and BayStars). He would also have performance bonuses of 100 million for this year as well giving him a grand total of 1.5 billion yen if he makes it. This for a 35 year old outfielder with an undistinguished MLB career and the best years of his career almost certainly behind him. Fukudome has always been venal and greedy and seems to be going all out to demonstrate this. One can't see any Japanese baseball club signing him on a deal like this and he does seem to be pricing himself out of the market.

The Daily Sports and other Japanese press are reporting that Fukudome will sign with the Tigers. Apparently it is also at the Tigers offer and not his suggested contract. The official announcement has not been released yet.

Hirano will join Orix - one can't but help come to the conclusion that Tigers screwed this one up and that the management wasted effort on lesser players. Fukudome has claimed that the reports of his salary demands were exaggerated by the press (possible but also could actually be true).

Fukudome duly signed and received No. 8. As Hirano left his number was vacant and was allocated to Asai who was no doubt mollified. Nohara got 67 because of Hidaka taking 37. Kanoh and Haraguchi both received their Ikusei numbers 120 and 124 respectively.

Tigers took Kazuya Takamiya from Orix as their compensation player. He's an undistinguished left handed pitcher from BayStars via Orix and is more a signal of the coaches obsession with left handers than with quality pitchers. Still they may be hoping that they have another Katoh in the making.

Matt DeSalvo was brought over to Japan for a try out but didn't work out. Tigers decided that he had nothing new to offer. They are now apparently focusing on Maximo Nelson of Dragons (according to Daily Sports). Negotiations are ongoing and seemingly progressing well. We shall see.