Photo: Japan Times

Good morning, Mets fans, and Happy New Year! As part of our first rumor roundup of 2019, we have an international signing in progress to report, as well as a few tidbits around the free agent market, which remains quiet.

Mariners, Kikuchi Agree to Terms

First reported late last night by Fancred Sports‘ own Jon Heyman, the Seattle Mariners and Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi have come to an agreement on a deal that – per MLB Network‘s Jon Morosi – is guaranteed over four years. Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports was the first to report the two sides nearing an agreement, with financial details yet to be revealed. Seattle has until the posting deadline tomorrow to ink the 27-year old.

Across eight seasons with the Nippon Professional Baseball League’s Seibu Lions, Kikuchi owns a career 74-48 record, 2.81 ERA, 1.177 WHIP, and 2.43 K/BB ratio. In 23 starts this past year, he impressed with a 3.08 ERA and 8.4 K/9 against just 2.5 BB/9 en route to his first All-Star nomination. The Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Dodgers had all been listed as potential suitors for Kikuchi alongside the Mariners, with varying levels on interest and flexibility.

With a fastball that peaks at 98 mph and a noted history on the bubble between Japan and a handful of interested Major League teams dating back to his high school days, Kikuchi joins an organization that has hosted a number of international stars, such as Ichiro Suzuki, Kazuhiro Sasaki, and Hisashi Iwakuma.

The last year of his contract (2022 – noted in a separate tweet from Heyman) features a player option that can be replaced with an additional four-year guarantee, meaning Kikuchi could be a Mariner for up to seven years. Seattle hopes to have made it out of its rebuilding doldrums by the time the player option presents itself, but remains in the process of unloading contracts, namely those of Kyle Seager and Edwin Encarnacion.

Reds Interested in Holland

In another note from Jon Morosi, the Cincinnati Reds have been in contact with lefty Derek Holland throughout the offseason. Fresh off a bounce-back campaign with the Giants, Holland reportedly prefers to remain in the National League, and as an Ohio native, could fit in on a ballclub that intends to compete in 2019.

In 36 games (30 starts) last year, the 32-year old racked up a career-high 8.9 K/9 to complement a 1.290 WHIP, 3.57 ERA, and 3.87 FIP. Granted, he made such strides in a much more pitcher-friendly domain in AT&T Park, but a 3.63 ERA on the road and 2.83 figure in the second half do a good job combatting the notion that Holland had a lucky season altogether. Though with a groundball rate that has typically sat below 40% and career-worst 38.8% hard-hit rate in 2018, it’s equally tough to envision a smooth transition to Great American Ballpark, which has historically favored hitters.

Pollock Reunion with Diamondbacks Unlikely

Zachary Buchanan of The Athletic lists a handful of in-house options with whom the Arizona Diamondbacks could fill a hole in center field. As reported in the subscription piece, such a hole is unlikely to be filled by A.J. Pollock, himself, who is expected to settle in with a new ballclub this offseason.

Pollock, 31, is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to rein in a deal in the range of four years and $60MM, a check the rebuilding Diamondbacks are almost certain to shy away from cutting. Despite hitting .261/.323/.477 over the last two years, Pollock has missed a combined 99 games in the process, and with a total oWAR of 4.1 in that time, it would be foolish for a team that just bid adieu to Paul Goldschmidt to bend over backwards in the case of their former All-Star center fielder.