Cubs land Fukudome

Cubs Land
Fukudome
Staff Writer Matt Sanders
The Chicago Cubs signed free agent Kosuke Fukudome
Thursday, a free agent export from Japan.
Fukudome, who hasn’t played an inning in Major League
Baseball, earned $13,500,000 from Chicago. The deal turned out to be one of the biggest paydays of the winter off-season, just under Bobby Abreu’s monster deal with Cleveland.
“We hope this signing takes us to the next level,” Chicago’s GM said, “We don’t want another ‘next year’”
The odds that Fukudome will pan out in the big leagues are slim, however. Only a handful of Japanese players currently play in Major League Baseball, and only a few of those are constant contributors.
The best known and most successful Japanese export has to be LA Dodger’s outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.
“I don’t think Fukudome is the next Ichiro, although that would be a good thing,” a fairly blunt Cubs GM said.
Although Fukudome makes a major dent in Chicago’s pay roll this season, his salary will cut in half in 2009, a potential bargain if he is indeed the next “Ichiro.”
“Fukudome will start Opening Day and I think he will lead us to a [World Series] title,” Chicago’s GM said. The addition of Fukudome, while it helps, probably won’t lead to a World Series title, however they’re handful of stars in Justin Morneu, Hanley Ramirez, and Dan Uggla could reek havoc for contending teams.