Iwakuma happily back in Seattle after failed Dodgers deal

December 18, 2015

“A lot of things happened in the last week. It was like a big wave going up and down,” Iwakuma said through an interpreter. “Eventually I was able to sign here and this is where I wanted to be.”

Seattle moved quickly to retain Iwakuma after he had originally agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Iwakuma says after going through a physical with the Dodgers earlier this week, the team indicated they wanted to “renegotiate” the originally agreed upon terms.

That’s when new Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto swooped in and added another proven arm to his rotation. Assistant general manager Jeff Kingston told reporters the Mariners were comfortable with the results of Iwakuma’s physical at the end of the regular season.

The Dodgers had no comment about what happened with Iwakuma.

“I don’t know if I was stunned. It was unfortunate,” Iwakuma said. “I’m here today, and in the end it worked out for me.”

And it worked out for Seattle to add another experience starter and provide another layer of depth to its rotation. Finding a way to re-sign the right-hander, who turns 35 in April, was a priority for Seattle entering the offseason. There were several reports Dec. 7 of a $45 million, three-year agreement between Iwakuma and the Dodgers, pending a physical, and the Mariners then acquired left-handed starter Wade Miley from Boston.

Iwakuma was 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA in 20 starts last season for the Mariners, including the first no-hitter of his career in August against Baltimore, and was 4-2 with a 2.17 ERA over his final seven starts. He has pitched his entire career in the majors with Seattle, going 47-25 with a 3.17 ERA in 111 games.

“The Mariners stayed connected with me from the very beginning to the very end and that helped me a lot,” Iwakuma said.

Iwakuma gets a $1 million signing bonus payable through December 2017 and a $10 million salary this year.

Seattle has $10 million options for 2017 and 2018, and Iwakuma would get a $1 million buyout if either option is declined. The 2017 option would become guaranteed at $14 million if he pitches 162 innings next year, and the 2018 option would become guaranteed at $15 million if he pitches 162 innings in 2017 or 324 combined in 2016 and ’17.

In each season, he can earn $500,000 each for 150 innings pitched and each additional 10 through 190. He receives a full no-trade provision, eight business class plane tickets annually between Japan and the U.S, an interpreter and a trainer with a $100,000 salary. When the contract ends, he will become a free agent again.