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Pirates Have Some Interest in Kawakami

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The Pirates have shown interest in Kawakami.

Jennifer Langosch reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates have shown some interest in Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Kenshin Kawakami.  The Braves owe Kawakami one year and $6.667 M on his three year deal, and are expected to pick up all but $1-2 M of his salary, while not wanting much in return.

Kawakami had a strong debut in the US in 2009, with a 3.86 ERA in 156.1 innings, along with a 6.0 K/9 and a 3.3 BB/9 ratio.  He was a bit lucky with a low BABIP and HR/FB ratio, along with a slightly higher strand rate.  His xFIP was 4.61, which was worse than his ERA.  In 2010 he went the other direction, posting a 5.15 ERA in 87.1 innings, with similar walk and strikeout ratios.  This time around his BABIP and strand rate were unlucky, and his xFIP was 4.56.

If the cost was only $1-2 M, with no big return going the other way, then Kawakami would be a good, low-risk option for the back of the rotation.

Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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