SB Nation - Kei Igawa

Worst New York Yankees of the Decade

Ed Valentine — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:00:17 -0000

We had some fun the other day debating the Pinstripe Alley Yankee Team of the Decade. Good points were raised on several controversial choices.

Along the way, some of you asked for the 'Worst Yankees of the Decade' team. I thought that would be fun, so I decided to take a shot at it.

Looking at the rosters over the years, though, I found it almost impossible to narrow it down to a single team. Instead, position-by-position, here are some of the most forgettable -- and regrettable -- Yankees of the past decade.

I am sure there are many other names that could or should be added to this list. But, this should get you started strolling down the wrong side of Yankee Memory Lane.

C -- Alberto Castillo, Chris Turner, Chris Widger, Todd Greene, Joe Oliver, Bobby Estelalla, Wil Nieves, Sal Fasano, Michel Hernandez,

1B -- Travis Lee (.105 in 7 games)

2B -- Tony Womack

SS -- Erick Almonte,

3B -- Wilson Betemit, Drew Henson,

INF -- Alex Arias, Felix Escalona (.000, 5 games in 2004), Mark Bellhorn (.118, 9 games, 2005), Cody Ransom, Angel Berroa, Morgan Ensberg

OF -- Kenny Lofton, Matt Lawton (.125, 21 games, 2005), Mike Vento, Justin Christian,

DH -- Jose Canseco

SP -- Kevin Brown, Tim Redding (54.00 ERA in 1 game, 2005), Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa, Jaret Wright (Carl Pavano BEFORE Pavano), Christian Parker (one 2001 start, got hurt, never pitched again), Jeff Weaver, Darrell May, Sidney Ponson (multiple times),

RP -- Alex Graman (19.80 in 3 games, 2004) & 13.50 in 2 games, 2005), Colter Bean, Bret Prinz, Sean Henn, Gabe White, Billy Traber, Anthony Claggett (33.75 ERA in 2 games).

I am ashamed to admit so many guys like this have worn the pinstripes during the course of the last decade. Yuck!

Discussion: NL teams for Kei Igawa?

Eli Greenspan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 22:18:15 -0000

View full size photo »

Kei Igawa put up respectable numbers in his third Triple-A season for the New York Yankees. This season, the Yankees really didn't have any use for him, so they shelved his big contract in Scranton where he posted a 4.15 ERA in 26 appearances. In his three seasons in Triple-A, he is 29-18 with a 3.76 ERA in 63 appearances.

So here's the question, would Kei Igawa be better suited in the National League?

Playing in a spacious National League stadium, could Igawa serve as a an innings eater similar to a Doug Davis type?

A team like the Astros or Padres could benefit from his ability to eat up innings, especially if he finds succcess there. Would you want your team to take a chance on Kei Igawa, with two years and eight million left on his contract.

Around the Yankee Universe: A time for HOPE

Ed Valentine — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:13:54 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, far left, uses a borrowed camera to turn the tables on the media and shoot photos of his teammates to the amusement of members of the Athletics Little League team and the media during a Hope Week event at a Little League field on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 in New York.

Browse more photos »

With the New York Yankees alone in first place in the AL East today is another good day to be a Yankee fan. So, let's look around the very sunny Yankee Universe and see what stories are floating around the Inter-Google about the greatest franchise on the planet.

As part of HOPE Week, several Yankee players paid a visit to a Little League team that includes a boy with Cerebral Palsy. I didn't think much of this whole HOPE Week deal when the team announced it, but it is turning out to be a pretty nice thing.
The Yankees got pretty much exactly what they need from Sergio Mitre Tuesday night, for however long he remains part of the Yankee rotation. Here is Joe Girardi's summary.

"He did a nice job. He threw a lot of strikes, almost got through six. I was happy," said Girardi, who needs a fifth starter with Chien-Ming Wang sidelined by a strained right shoulder. "It was a big lift for us. He did what he needed to do. We're not asking him to do anything out of the ordinary."

Brett Tomko, the guy who was let go to make room for Mitre, is not a happy camper.

"I threw four or five innings in the first month; I don't think that's a legit shot to really show what you can do," Tomko said. ... "I was barely ever pitching, and I don't want to be that guy that just hangs around. I still want to pitch, and not just once every nine days. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise."

Bye, bye Brett! I don't think Brian Cashman's phone is going to be ringing off the hook with offers for you over the next few days.

You know, if Mitre eventually fails Kei Igawa is next in line to get a shot. That would screw up a pretty good gig Igawa has going, since he just became the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre all-time wins leader by recording his 27th victory for the franchise Tuesday.
Eric Hinske credits an adjustment made by hitting coach Kevin Long for his hot start as a Yankee.
In an article detailing the best and worst fielders in the big leagues at each position, SI.com's Cliff Corcoran says Johnny Damon is one of the three worst outfielders in baseball. I'm not sure about that, but I do know I hold my breath every time the ball is hit in Damon's direction.

Around the Yankee Universe: 5th starter tryout time

Ed Valentine — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:00:17 -0000

After you get past the joy of Monday's latest walkoff win -- this one courtesy of Hideki Matsui's ninth-inning home run -- the focus around Yankee Universe has to be on the fifth starter situation.

There was bad news Monday about Chien-Ming Wang, and at this rate who knows if we will see the former ace of the Yankee staff again this season.

"Any time you're dealing with a [rotator] cuff issue and shoulder tendinitis -- or whatever you want to describe it as -- there's concern," (Yankee manager Joe) Girardi said. "Whatever it is he's able to do, we would love to have."

The mid-season fifth-starter tryout camp begins (continues?) tonight when Sergio Mitre toes the rubber against Baltimore. Don't expect Mitre to be more than a temporary fill-in, though. He is 10-23 with a 5.36 ERA in parts of five big-league seasons. He can hardly be expected to become a reliable starter in a pennant race. Maybe he ends up replacing Brett Tomko as the long man, but I don't see a lot of starts in Mitre's future.

Girardi recently described Mitre this way.

"He’s a sinker-curveball- changeup guy," Girardi said of Mitre, a right-hander who pitched for Girardi with the Florida Marlins in 2006. "He’s going to throw a lot of strikes, and he’s going to get a lot of ground balls. I always thought he had kind of a bulldog attitude. He’s a pretty thick guy. I never thought he shied away from contact."

For the Yankees, this is turning into an yearly ritual. I guess we could call it the annual mid-summer search for the next Aaron Small. Unless you want to see Kei Igawa again (and I don't) there are no other answers at AAA if Mitre flops. Girardi has repeatedly ruled out a return to the rotation for Phil Hughes, since he has been so dominant in the bullpen. Alfredo Aceves' value in the pen also makes the Yankees reluctant to start him.

Yet, Girardi admitted telling managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner he had "concerns about the depth of our starting rotation right now." For his part, Steinbrenner said Monday the Yankees would "look at all possibilities."

Those possibilities are extremely unlikely to include Roy Halladay. We've been over this a bunch of times, and the Yankees just aren't going to ravage the farm system for one pitcher -- no matter how good he is.

So, who could the targets be if the Yankees push for a starter via trade?

How about Cleveland's Cliff Lee? The Indians might consider moving the reigning Cy Young Award winner, and the price tag will have to be lower than the one for Halladay. Then there is always Jarrod Washburn, whom the Yankees seem to have been talking about acquiring for a year or more. I want nothing to do with Erik Bedard.

A lot of names will get bandied about, and it gives me a headache trying to figure it all out. So, I won't. Anyway, it will be interesting to see where this goes.

Before you jump off the Joba The Starter bandwagon

Travis G — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:30:09 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Browse more photos »

Please read this (and yes, I know it's a bit late) -

Last night we saw a 23-year-old kid have a bad game. It was his second straight - no question about it. But let's not go overboard: from some of the comments on this site, you'd think Joba was as bad as Chien-Ming Wang. These knee-jerk reactions are irrational.

His ERA now stands at a-better-than-average 4.25, third among Yankee starters.

Joba's velocity last night was 93.5 MPH. Is that not good enough? It won't be as fast as when he relieved because that's the nature of baseball: pitching fewer innings is easier and less taxing.

And we've seen him be very successful as a starter - last season he had a 2.76 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP in 12 starts.

Now let's play a game called Guess the Pitcher:

22 years old, 4.48 ERA, 1.49 WHIP...

23 years old, 10.64 ERA, 2.20 WHIP...

22 years old, 4.74 ERA, 1.51 WHIP...

21 years old, 5.61 ERA, 1.64 WHIP...

25 years old, 4.82 ERA, 1.51 WHIP...

and now Joba: 23 years old, 4.25 ERA, 1.56 WHIP

My point is not that Joba will turn into a Hall of Famer (like the aforementioned pitchers), but that a bad stretch doesn't mean he automatically won't. It's two bad starts, two.

All I remember hearing the past couple years was how the Yankees had to develop their own pitchers so we wouldn't have to rely on the likes of Carl Pavano, Tim Redding, Jaret Wright, Kevin Brown, etc.; and the Quadruple-A guys that we got to know too well: Ty Clippard, Matt DeSalvo, Jeff Karstens, Darrel Rasner, Kei Igawa, etc.

That brings me to my next point: if you're throwing Joba into the pen, who takes his spot in the rotation? Sergio Mitre (28 years old, 5.36 career ERA, hasn't pitched in the Bigs since '07), Josh Towers (32 years old, 4.96 career ERA, last seen in '07), Jason Johnson (35 years old, 4.99 career ERA), Igawa (do I have to go over his resume?)? You liking any of them?

Joba is 23, has a 3.04 career ERA (3.62 as a starter).

So the choices seem to be ML re-treads with no promise, or watching a kid with a ton of promise go through normal ups and downs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

In addition to all that, Andy Pettitte had another poor game. Should he be moved to the pen?

Joba's ERA as a starter is 3.62. Pettitte's over the same time frame ('08-'09) is about 4.62. A full run difference. Before you tell me that Joba doesn't pitch deep enough, I've already looked. He averages 5.1 ip/start - Pettitte has averaged a hair over 6 ip/start. How much is a full run in ERA worth? 2-3 more outs?

It would seem those traits might roughly even out. Therefore, if Joba deserves to be in the pen, why not Andy?

Yanks Have 3 of the Worst Contracts in the Game?

jscape2000 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:49:57 -0000

Looking only at active contracts, Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors came up with a list of the 45 worst.

There are several teams with 3 contracts listed, and that's how many the Yanks have:

Jorge Posada, Yankees. Four years, $52MM ($13MM per year). Signed November of 2007.

Hideki Matsui, Yankees. Four years, $52MM ($13MM per year). Signed November of 2005.

Kei Igawa, Yankees. Five years, $46MM ($9.2MM per year). Signed in December of '06, this was a clear and poorly thought-out response to Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka signing.

It's too easy to say Jorge's deal is a bad one. He was the best catcher on the market when the Yanks needed a catcher. The Mets were prepared to open the vault and the Yanks had no other options. On any other team Jorge would be the franchise player and the clean-up hitter; you overpay those guys and hope for the best.

In a way, the Matsui pick is the one I agree with most. It's not as hard to find a left fielder as a catcher, so I can't justify the move with the Jorge logic. But when he was signed he had never missed a game, and $13M was reasonable to good even at the time for a player capable of .280/.390/.500. Guys get hurt, the money isn't obscene (see Giambi, Jason), and we don't have a clear picture of how much money Hideki brings in from Japan (tickets+sales). Hard to call the deal an albatross.

Obviously there's no point arguing over Kei Igawa from a monetary standpoint, but the Yanks have the most money and never have a decent draft pick, so they have to get creative. If the move hadn't looked like such an overreaction to the Bo-Sox getting Dice-K I suspect most people would look at it the way I do: the scout who recommended El Duque recommended Igawa, and it didn't work. But whether it's signing Jon Lieber for a year of rehab and a year of work, or it means importing talent, it's the only way the Yanks can restock.

Sure, some of these guys have underperformed (or Igawa-ed, as we call it in the jscape household), but none of these deals have the air of franchise changing a la Barry Zito. Is it just me, or does it seem like Dierkes felt that with Giambi and Pavano gone, some Yankee still had to make the list?

Wednesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:42:50 -0000

Some things to read while wondering how much rice one could get for Mike Cameron.

Obviously, the Cameron trade is still a hot topic around here: As of this writing, we've already had 344 comments on an astonishing nine posts since Thursday discussing the topic. (UPDATE: It's actually more like 425 and eleven posts, as I missed two FanShots.)With that said, Jeff brought a new point to the table last night, and even if you're completely sick of the conversation, you should go read it for the insight on the unique economic plight caused by a $200 million payroll.

View From Bernie's Chalet notes that the financial flexibility gained from a Cameron trade would allow the Brewers to continue to pursue Brian Fuentes. That argument works if all of the following is true:

1) The savings on Cameron won't be immediately handed to Kei Igawa.
2) The improvement created by adding Fuentes to the bullpen is greater than the loss created by replacing Cameron with Cabrera in center field.
3) Fuentes won't sign with any of a half dozen other teams that are reportedly interested in him, including the Yankees.

Meanwhile, it's possible the Yankees are pursuing Manny Ramirez, which might force them to move Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui back to center and leave them without a place to play Cameron. It is about the money, stupid isn't thrilled with that premise.

Also, rumor has it Mark Teixiera is getting close to making a decision. If he signs with the Red Sox, Brewed Sports thinks it will set off a series of moves ending with J.J. Hardy in Boston and Mike Lowell and Manny Delcarmen in Milwaukee.

Three minor league notes to pass along today:

The Baseball America Prospect Blog has started a project to evaluate catcher defense. Click the link to see how close Jonathan Lucroy is to the top and how close Angel Salome is to the bottom in caught stealing percentage.
Project Prospect has Alcides Escobar #1 over Mat Gamel on their list of top five Brewer prospects.
2008 Brevard County Manatees Stephen Chapman, Taylor Green, Brent Brewer and Charlie Fermaint were all among the leaders in errors in high A ball.

Gabe Kapler's play in Los Angeles was voted This Year in Baseball's top play for 2008, with over 12 million voters weighing in. There's video of the play at the link.

On the hot stove:

Cardinals: The team is one of several talking to Brian Fuentes, and may also be interested in Takashi Saito, Kenshin Kawakami and Koji Uehara.
D-Backs: CEO Jeff Moorad chatted with fans Tuesday and made it sound like the team is still in the market for a fourth starter.
Mets: Are treating newly acquired reliever J.J. Putz as a one-year acquisition, despite his $9.3 million club option for 2010.
Pirates: Signed reliever Chris Bootcheck to a minor league deal.
Tigers: May be getting ready to sign Matt Treanor, who has a history with Dontrelle Willis.

Also, this isn't team specific, but does relate to a free agent: Rocco Baldelli's diagnosis with a mitochondrial disorder may have been incorrect, and his condition may actually be treatable. That could raise his value a fair amount.

In an era where baseball seems to be spreading across the globe, it's weird to have two stories on the same day going in the other direction: the Astros are closing their academy in Venezuela (h/t Crawfish Boxes) and Major League Baseball is ending its affiliation with Hawaii Winter Baseball.

Hope springs eternal...except in Seattle. Washington is the only state in a recent ESPN poll voting that their favorite MLB team won't compete in 2009.

Oh, and what if this whole oil thing had gone the other way?

Drink up.

Tuesday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:17:05 -0000

Some things to read while upgrading your fireplace.

So, as noted in the FanShots, the Cameron/Cabrera/Igawa trade has hit another snag, leaving us to hope one again that it won't happen. Brewers Bar wants the trade to happen and offers some suggestions. He uses batting average and fielding percentage as arguments for bringing in Cabrera. The Yankees most likely will not throw in candy cane earmuffs.

Over at The Hardball Times, Dixieflatline is using Ben Sheets' 2008 performance as a case study on the performance of injured pitchers. Ben Sheets read it and will now miss two weeks with excessive concentration.

So Chris Capuano signed a minor league deal yesterday. He's still recovering from Tommy John surgery and likely won't be available to pitch until May or so, so I guess that makes him an even bigger surprise for Bleacher Report's Baseball Players Everyone Forgot About Who Will Surprise You In 2009.

Even with Capuano in the fold, and even if Bleacher Report correctly predicted his miraculous recovery, the Brewers probably still need more starting pitching. MLB FanHouse has a list of ~~ten~~ nine starting pitchers who are still available.

It would also help if one of them could fly an airplane: Midwest Express will no longer be flying charter flights for the Brewers. The ensuing lack of cookies could make Prince Fielder extra surly in 2009.

'Tis the season to make your top prospect lists. The Diamond Cutter has Mat Gamel #1 in their annual top 5.

It looks like Rafael Furcal's free agency may be nearing its end. The Blue Jays have pulled out, the A's offered four years, the Royals may be willing to do so too, but Fox is reporting he's about to agree to terms with the Braves. Elsewhere on the hot stove:

Astros: Signed Jason Michaels to a one year deal worth $750,000.
Cubs: Signed Joey Gathright to a one ~~car jump~~ year deal.
Mariners: are believed to be interested in Taiwanese lefty Fu-Te Ni, who became available somewhat suddenly when his Taiwanese team folded.
Mets: May be interested in signing Tim Redding.
Orioles: Have been linked to Randy Wolf and Japanese starter Kenshin Kawakami.
Phillies: Re-signed Jamie Moyer to a two year deal.
Red Sox: Have made an offer to Mark Teixiera that could be worth as much as $200 million.

This isn't really a big surprise, but Padres owner John Moores, in the midst of a divorce, has put the Padres up for sale.

The Padres and Blue Jays both might sell for less than the combined contracts of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. Beyond the Box Score looks at the values they add to the Yankees.

Speaking of asking prices, Bobby Abreu would like 3 years/$48 million, which probably explains why he's still a free agent.

In the comments of yesterday's Mug we had a brief discussion on the value of Jake Peavy and expectations for his performance next season away from Petco Park. Rob Neyer picked up that debate where we left off.

Oh, and yesterday was Rick Helling's birthday, in case you forgot.

Drink up.

Monday's Frosty Mug

KLSnow — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:28:33 -0000

Some things to read while avoiding having "the talk" with your kids.

As noted in the FanShots, the Brewers and Yankees continue negotiations on the Cameron/Cabrera deal, but it now seems relatively certain the deal will include Kei Igawa, with the question being how much of his remaining $12 million contract will be eaten by the Yankees. True Blue LA has an unattributed quote that makes it sound like tensions have run relatively high in the negotiations. A quote from Tom H.'s blog still makes it sound like the Brewers are getting bullied here:

Because the Yankees refused to put one of their top pitching prospects in the deal, the Brewers might settle for disappointing left-hander Kei Igawa, who spent most of the 2008 season at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

There's likely not any truth to the rumor that Doug Melvin has refused to make the trade until Brian Cashman agrees to send over all of his disappointing players.

Meanwhile, the seeming inevitability that Melky Cabrera will be a Brewer has upset Claire, and that rarely ends well.

Even without mentioning the Cabrera/Cameron deal, Jon Heyman ranked the Brewers among the losers at last week's winter meetings.

Apparently there's also a rumor circling the web that the Brewers have offered a package including Alcides Escobar to the Padres for Jake Peavy. It seems unlikely, but it is interesting.

The Brew Town Beat has a plan for the Brewers offseason that involves signing Bobby Abreu, Brad Penny and Juan Cruz to three year deals and starting Seth McClung's 2009 season in AAA. Speaking of Abreu, FanGraphs has a closer look at what the future may hold for him.

Signing Abreu would likely require the Brewers to either trade Corey Hart or move him to center. The Hardball Times thinks Hart is poised to have a nice rebound season in 2009.

Among the players non-tendered on Friday was former Astros 2B/3B Ty Wigginton. I've seen a few comments suggesting the Brewers should be interested, but it looks like the Twins, Giants, Pirates, Indians and Reds are already involved. Elsewhere on the hot stove:

Angels: Have reportedly offered Mark Teixiera $160 million for seven years. The Nationals previously offered $160 million for eight.
Braves: May be interested in Japanese right-hander Kenshin Kawakami.
Cubs: Re-signed Chad Gaudin and Neal Cotts.
D-Backs: Acquired Scott Schoeneweis from the Mets for P Connor Robertson.
Dodgers: Non-tendered Takashi Saito, Scott Proctor, Yhency Brazoban and Angel Berroa.
Mets: May be looking at Randy Wolf as an option for their rotation.
Nationals: Re-signed Willie Harris for two years, $3 million.
Orioles: Will reportedly bring Chad Moeller into spring training to compete for their Opening Day catcher's job.
Pirates: Are reportedly among half a dozen or more teams interested in Derrick Turnbow, who will throw for teams in January in the hopes of getting a major league deal.
Reds: In addition to Wigginton, they're rumored to be interested in Willy Taveras and Aaron Miles. They also signed Laynce Nix.
White Sox Signed Cuban infielder Dayan Viciedo to a four year, $10 million deal.

Here's a relatively complete list of players non-tendered on Friday. Leave a comment if you have a more complete one and I'll swap the link.

While there's a lot of money being thrown around this offseason, 2009 will be another season of peanut butter and jelly for minor leaguers, as MLB has rejected a proposal that would have raised their daily road meal allowance from $20 to $25 per day. It's estimated the league will save $750,000 by rejecting the measure...which is roughly what A.J. Burnett will make per day on the DL.

As Jack Zduriencik continues to overhaul the Mariners, he's about to get a bunch of help: As things stand right now, the Mariners would have three first round picks along with two more in the top 60. They're also apparently taking their advance scouts off the road and bringing the entire operation in-house, to be done via video.

I've heard a lot of big leaguers like to spend their winter someplace warm and put their feet up for a bit. Red Sox reliever Hideki Okajima went someplace warm...and ran the Honolulu Marathon. The Red Sox don't sound too thrilled about it.

Oh, and WeAreFanatics.com wants to see you in your Brewers gear.

Drink up.

Rule 5 Possibility for the Braves: Kei Igawa

gondeee — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:06:56 -0000

The Atlanta Braves will have one of the top-10 picks in this year's Rule 5 draft this Thursday at the Winter Meetings. That's the highest selection we've had in 18 years. There are several interesting possibilities out there, but this one hit me as particularly interesting, albeit somewhat risky (though, what Rule 5 selections aren't risky). I was reading John Perotto's preview of the Rule 5 over at Baseball Prospectus and rolled up upon this review of Yankee's left-handed starter Kei Igawa:

He has been a bust since the Yankees spent $46 million to bring him over from Japan in the 2006-07 offseason, paying a $26 million posting fee to the Hanshin Tigers, and then giving him a five-year, $20 million contract. Igawa has just 0.1 WARP3 in two major league seasons, but he did have a 3.45 ERA in 156 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last year with 141 hits allowed, 45 walks, and 117 strikeouts for a 4.79 DERA. He is 28 and a lefty, so someone might take on the final three years and $12 million on his contract.

Igawa was a total bust for the Yanks, and probably reminded some of Chuck James with the way he gave up homeruns in 2007, but Igawa is more of a strikeout pitcher than James. Igawa is owed $4 million in each of the next three years, which is similar to what we reportedly were willing to offer Junichi Tazawa. So if Tazawa was worth the risk, then why not Igawa, especially since Igawa already has some experience in American baseball, and by looking at his minor league numbers, seems to be learning how to pitch in the states.

Here is a link to Igawa's stats including stats from Japan. Here are some 2007 splits from MiLB.com.

Look, I'm not saying he would be the next coming, but at only $4 million per year and a track record in Japan of being a 200+ inning power pitcher, the potential upside is tremendous. The Braves are in a position to spend that kind of money on an uncertain quantity because of their willingness to give similar money to Tazawa and their desperate need for starting pitching. If he doesn't perform, it's possible that the Yankees would not want him back. In that case, yes, we would be stuck with the contract, but he'd also be signed for two more years, allowing for more opportunities to improve and succeed.

As I said above, the Rule 5 happens on the last day of the winter meetings, so a lot can change between now and then. A lot of options can disappear from the Braves shopping list, necessetating a move like this. But even if we do sign A.J. Burnett or bring in Jake Peavy via trade, Igawa would still be a worthy risk in the fourth or fifth starter spot.

(Of course, the Braves have a full 40-man roster, so who knows if they would even be willing to take anyone off of it to add Igawa.)