General Manager Brian Cashman has been bashed quite a bit over his tenure as deal-maker for the New York Yankees. From Kevin Brown to Carl Pavano, Kei Igawa to A.J. Burnett – Yankee fans have voiced their displeasure at some of their GM’s pitching decisions. But with the bad also comes the good. The very good, actually.
On January 26, 2012, Brian Cashman inked Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal worth $10 million. At 37 years old, Kuroda had just come off four solid seasons with the Dodgers, going 41-46 with a 3.45 ERA, albeit in the weak NL West. He went 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA in ’12 for the Yanks, and was the most consistent starter that season – carrying his success into the playoffs.
Cashman and Kuroda re-upped after 2012 on another one-year deal, this time worth $15 million. He’s been worth every single penny.
Kuroda has once again been the most consistent starter on the staff, even earning him the “ace” title. Kuroda’s July was absolutely amazing, as he forced his way into the Cy Young debate with a 3-0 record and a sparkling .55 ERA. Yes, .55. Of course, as has been the case throughout his career for whatever reason, Kuroda is lacking run support. Last night he faced his former team and former Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. He had to be nearly perfect for the Yankees to have a chance at winning, and he was. His final line read 7 IP, 5 hits, 8 Ks, no runs.
Right now, his record stands at 10-6 with a 2.38 ERA. He’s allowed 117 hits in 139.2 innings while walking 27 – good for a WHIP of 1.03. His ERA hasn’t been over 3 since April 14. In 1.5 years with the Yankees, Kuroda owns a record of 26-17 with an ERA of 2.96, all while pitching in the beast that is the AL East.
Now at age 38, Kuroda is having the best season of his Major League career. If he continues his success over the next two months, he may go by another name at season’s end: Cy Young.
