AKINORI IWAMURA
2/9/79; Posting Process '06 (Tampa Bay); Japan
L/R; 5-9, 200
| Level |
BA |
OBP |
SA |
AB |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
K |
SB |
CS |
| 2007 AL (TB) |
.285 |
.359 |
.411 |
491 |
21 |
10 |
7 |
58 |
114 |
12 |
8 |
| 2008
AL (TB) |
.274 |
.349 |
.380 |
627 |
30 |
9 |
6 |
70 |
131 |
8 |
6 |
| 2009 AL (TB) |
.290 |
.355 |
.390 |
231 |
16 |
2 |
1 |
24 |
44 |
9 |
1 |
| 2009 AAA (TB) |
.303 |
.452 |
.394 |
33 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
The Pirates acquired Iwamura from Tampa Bay during the 2009
World Series. The Rays were facing a tight deadline with Iwamura, as they
had only until the day after the Series to decide whether to exercise his $4.25M
option for 2010. His contract prohibited them from offering him
arbitration, so they would have lost him with no return. Barring a trade,
the Rays probably would have non-tendered him, as they didn't want to pay him
the $4.25M and they have younger, cheaper players they preferred to go
with. The Pirates gave up reliever Jesse Chavez.
Iwamura signed
with the Rays through the Japanese posting system. In Japan he was a power
hitter, with as many as 44 HRs in a season. Like other Japanese hitters,
though, he became more of an on-base guy in the US, with mainly gap power.
It's possible, as a left-handed hitter, he could add power thanks to PNC Park's
short RF porch, but his tendency has been to hit the ball to the opposite field
when he hits it in the air. He also could benefit by moving from the much
stronger AL, especially the AL East, to the NL. He's had a reverse
platoon split so far, with an OPS of .786 against LHPs and .729 against
RHPs. He missed over half the 2009 season with a torn ACL. The
recovery rate from that injury is very high now, so he should be physically
sound.
Iwamura was originally a thirdbaseman, but he moved to second when
Evan Longoria came along. According to UZR, he's been about average at
both positions. For the Pirates he'll be a huge upgrade at second, which
became a gaping hole after Freddy Sanchez' departure. His acquisition also
should end any talk about Andy LaRoche moving to third.
(It probably will not put an end to the knee-jerk insistence in some
quarters that every single move the Pirates make is a cost-cutting
measure.) It remains to be seen whether there's any chance of Iwamura
staying in Pittsburgh beyond 2010.
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