Lowe Close, Kawakami Closer

Derek Lowe in an apperance in Atlanta.

With the departure of John Smoltz things have seemed to pick up lately with other free agent pitchers. The Braves met with free agent pitcher Derek Lowe formally of the Dodgers. Lowe is probably the top pitcher on the still on the market now. The Braves did not seem to show much interest in Lowe at first, but things changed as the Mets made an offer and the Braves lost Smoltz to the RedSox. Lowe would provide an “ace” type pitcher that is severely needed in the starting rotation. Lowe can provide both quality starts, and many innings pitched throughout the year. He is most noted for his durability over his career. Even with an addition of Lowe the Braves still have a need for more quality starting. In another deal, the Braves are reported as being close to signing free agent pitcher Kenshen Kawakami from Japan.

Kawakami is a largely scouted pitcher in Japan that has the MLB equivalent of a Cy Young award. He brings many good potential qualities to an MLB club. He is still young at only 33, and a few players in MLB baseball have ever faced him. He features a fast ball that tops out around 90 mph, and a great curveball. He also has a typical deceptive motion as much of the Japanese pitchers feature. There are some negatives to this deal however, in Japan pitchers work on a 6 or even 7 day rotation compared to 5 or sometimes even 4 in MLB. Along with this, communication is always an issue with foreign players. I don’t know how much English he knows, but I am willing to bet catcher Brian McCann does not know much. Kawakami is supposed to meet with the Braves over the weekend in Atlanta and pending a physical could be signed as early as next week. Let’s hope these deals get done and the Braves can then turn their focus on acquiring a power hitting left fielder. Jereme will have a full rumor mill update on the next available show.

Video Highlights of Kenshen Kawakami Pitching in Japan

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