Hisashi Iwakuma's Agent Denies Asking for 'Barry Zito Money'

by Josh Alper

Filed under: Athletics, AL West, MLB Rumors, International Baseball

When the news broke Sunday that the A's and Hisashi Iwakuma were unable to come to an agreement on a contract, word was that the Japanese righty was looking for a contract similar to the seven-year, $126 million deal Barry Zito got as a free agent in 2006.

Iwakuma's agent Don Nomura has taken to Twitter to deny that account. According to Nomura, the A's offered Iwakuma a four-year, $15.25 million deal that was in the same neighborhood as the ones given to Kei Igawa and Colby Lewis. Nomura said he countered by offering up Hiroki Kuroda (three years, $35.3 million) and Daisuke Matsuzaka (six years, $52 million) as comparable pitchers.

That's a big difference, but we're nowhere near Barry Zito country unless you include the $19 million posting fee paid to Iwakuma's Japanese team as part of the deal. According to Nomura, that's what the A's tried to do and something that the player refused to accept.

 

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