SEATTLE -- The Hisashi Iwakuma saga did a complete 360-degree twist late Thursday as the Mariners announced they've re-signed the 34-year-old right-hander to a one-year guaranteed deal with two more potential vesting years, after the Dodgers backed out of a three-year, $45 million agreement earlier in the day.Financial terms of the deal were not released.
Iwakuma rejected Seattle's one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer in October and then agreed to a deal with the Dodgers on Dec. 6, but Jiji Press in Japan reported Thursday that the Dodgers never finalized that contract after Iwakuma failed a physical exam. 
"We said from the start that Kuma was a priority for us," new Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "Obviously, the developments from the last few days allowed us to get back in the game. It's a credit to our ownership; to Howard Lincoln, to Kevin Mather, to our entire ownership group that we were able to get aggressive and find a way to bring Kuma back to the Mariners. We're all thrilled. This is a big move for us. We feel like this really puts a finishing touch on what we think has been a very productive offseason."Iwakuma will be in Seattle for an 11:30 a.m. PT news conference on Friday at Safeco Field.Iwakuma pitched for the Mariners the past four years and passed their exit physical at the end of last season, then was listed by Dipoto as his top priority this offseason. But Dipoto declined to offer more than two years at $30 million earlier this month, and Iwakuma agreed instead to the Dodgers' deal.He will now return to the team that signed him initially out of Japan in 2012 on a one-year, $1.5 million deal and paid him $7 million last season in the final year of his second contract with the club.A source told MLB.com that the Dodgers hadn't closed the door on signing Iwakuma, under a reworked contract, but he instead opted quickly to return to the Mariners.Dipoto moved quickly to acquire left-hander Wade Miley in a trade with the Red Sox the day after Iwakuma agreed to the Dodgers' deal and now has additional rotation depth. Seattle's rotation will now have Felix Hernandez, Miley, Taijuan Walker, Nathan Karns, James Paxton and Iwakuma battling for five spots, with Vidal Nuno available as a swingman and Mike Montgomery offering further depth.Iwakuma posted a 9-5 record and 3.54 ERA in 20 starts last season. He missed 10 weeks with a strained lat muscle behind his right shoulder, but returned in early July and went 9-4 with a 3.10 ERA over his final 17 games, including a no-hitter against the Orioles on Aug. 12.The 6-foot-3 right-hander has been a solid No. 2 starter behind Hernandez for the past four years, going 47-25 with a 3.17 ERA in 111 games.Dipoto has been busy this offseason since replacing Jack Zduriencik, making nine trades, signing four new free agents and now bringing back two of the team's own free agents in outfielder Franklin Gutierrez and Iwakuma. The only unsigned free agent from last season's Mariners club is veteran left-handed reliever Joe Beimel.
Greg Johns/ MLB.com
"We said from the start that Kuma was a priority for us," new Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "Obviously, the developments from the last few days allowed us to get back in the game. It's a credit to our ownership; to Howard Lincoln, to Kevin Mather, to our entire ownership group that we were able to get aggressive and find a way to bring Kuma back to the Mariners. We're all thrilled. This is a big move for us. We feel like this really puts a finishing touch on what we think has been a very productive offseason."Iwakuma will be in Seattle for an 11:30 a.m. PT news conference on Friday at Safeco Field.Iwakuma pitched for the Mariners the past four years and passed their exit physical at the end of last season, then was listed by Dipoto as his top priority this offseason. But Dipoto declined to offer more than two years at $30 million earlier this month, and Iwakuma agreed instead to the Dodgers' deal.He will now return to the team that signed him initially out of Japan in 2012 on a one-year, $1.5 million deal and paid him $7 million last season in the final year of his second contract with the club.A source told MLB.com that the Dodgers hadn't closed the door on signing Iwakuma, under a reworked contract, but he instead opted quickly to return to the Mariners.Dipoto moved quickly to acquire left-hander Wade Miley in a trade with the Red Sox the day after Iwakuma agreed to the Dodgers' deal and now has additional rotation depth. Seattle's rotation will now have Felix Hernandez, Miley, Taijuan Walker, Nathan Karns, James Paxton and Iwakuma battling for five spots, with Vidal Nuno available as a swingman and Mike Montgomery offering further depth.Iwakuma posted a 9-5 record and 3.54 ERA in 20 starts last season. He missed 10 weeks with a strained lat muscle behind his right shoulder, but returned in early July and went 9-4 with a 3.10 ERA over his final 17 games, including a no-hitter against the Orioles on Aug. 12.The 6-foot-3 right-hander has been a solid No. 2 starter behind Hernandez for the past four years, going 47-25 with a 3.17 ERA in 111 games.Dipoto has been busy this offseason since replacing Jack Zduriencik, making nine trades, signing four new free agents and now bringing back two of the team's own free agents in outfielder Franklin Gutierrez and Iwakuma. The only unsigned free agent from last season's Mariners club is veteran left-handed reliever Joe Beimel.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
