Though it may not be one of the bigger signings during the off-season, the Yankees addition of Hiroki Kuroda could prove to be one of the top moves in baseball.
Kuroda is a bit underrated because of his less than stellar win-loss performance, but his K/BB ratio of 3.29 ranks 15th in baseball last season behind Cy Young candidates such as Roy Halladay and Clayton Kershaw.
Kuroda also is not just a product of Dodgers Stadium either. While his 3.34 ERA when pitching at home is solid, his 3.36 ERA on the road is not all that different. In fact, Kuroda picks up more strikeouts on the road, which is a statistic independent of the dimensions of the ballpark.
While Kuroda's 41-46 record may not impress many Yankees fans, what should be taken into account is that he has the worst record of any pitcher with a sub-3.50 ERA. In other words, a lack of run support has been a major issue for Kuroda and a move to Yankees Stadium should be a cure.
I can see 15-17 wins coming from Kuroda and while he may not generate the interest of an ace on the move, in reality, he is the next best thing.
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