Daisuke Who? Yanks Make Kei Signing

While bitter rival Boston spent over $100 million to bring Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka to Fenway, the Yankees made a splash of their own in the Far East by agreeing to terms with left handed pitcher Kei Igawa. It is a deal reported to be worth $20 million over five years, but that cost jumps to $46 million if you include the posting fee. Igawa is expected to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation with Carl Pavano, but his signing could be more of a demonstration that the Yankees view Pavano as an expendable commodity. It has not yet been made official, but there are no foreseen circumstances that would disrupt the agreement. With the addition of Andy Pettite, Igawa could potentially give the Yankees three left handed starters to stifle Yankee killer David Ortiz and newly acquired Red Sox JD Drew.

Although Igawa does not have the upside of Matsuzaka, he performed admirably throughout his career in Japan. Last season with the Hanshin Tigers he pitched to a 14-9 record with a sub-3.00 ERA and 194 strikeouts. He's only twenty seven years old, and in a worst case scenario, could be a huge upgrade in the bullpen. While the Yankees are certainly not spending $9 million per yer on a glorified set up man, it could be a path they explore if a healthy Carl Pavano shows up in the spring. He also gives the Yankees some youth in an aging starting rotation. With back of the rotation left handed starters such as Ted Lilly getting $10 million a year in the crazy market that has been established this offseason, this could be a very smart investment for the Yankees.