In a surprising move, the Pirates have entered the mix to sign coveted Japanese pitcher Hisanori Takashi.
From NPB Tracker:
Sanspo has published a report saying that the Pirates have suddenly emerged as a destination for Takahashi. I’d read earlier that Takahashi prefers the west coast, but he’s also been saying all offseason that he wants a major league deal and wants to start. The Pirates don’t exactly have the strongest rotation in the world, so it’s feasible that they could have MLB starts to offer him this season. Bringing in Takahashi may work for the Pirates if he can eat up a few innings and buy them some time with some of their prospects, plus Aki Iwamura is around to ease his transition. But, you know, that sounds pretty stopgap-ish, and if you’re going to be a stopgap, why not be one in San Diego? Assuming the opportunity is available, of course.
Takahashi has spent his entire career playing for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball and has looked forward to playing in America. The 34-year-old has a career record of 79-66 along with a 3.70 ERA. Apparently, he doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but boasts a sweet screwball.
As of right now, the Pirates’ starting rotation consists of Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, Ross Ohlendorf, Charlie Morton, and Kevin Hart. Obviously, that won’t intimidate many teams. Takahashi intends to start in the MLB, and I think Pittsburgh would be a great fit.
