The Los Angeles Dodgers' agreement with free-agent starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma has reportedly been called off after there were issues with his physical.
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com broke the news that the deal fell apart. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the sides could attempt to rework the original three-year, $45 million contract in order to include less guaranteed money and decrease the amount of risk for Los Angeles.
Iwakuma, 34, spent the first four seasons of his MLB career with the Seattle Mariners. He posted a 3.17 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 551 strikeouts in 653.2 innings across 111 appearances. Those rock-solid numbers made him a coveted offseason commodity.
The Dodgers swooped in as they looked to bolster their starting rotation following the departure of Zack Greinke, who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Now the organization must decide whether to work toward a different agreement with the Japanese right-hander or seek another pitcher to fill the void. Rosenthal noted L.A.'s pursuit of Mike Leake could become more intense as a result of the situation.
The exact nature of the concerns regarding Iwakuma's physical weren't immediately clear, with Gurnick noting in his report the team "has not confirmed the reports and is prohibited from discussing details of physical exams without player consent." Iwakuma dealt with a lingering lat strain last season and ended up making just 20 starts.
It's obviously not an ideal situation for either side. The Dodgers must still find a way to upgrade their rotation behind ace Clayton Kershaw, and Iwakuma will now face increased health scrutiny as he attempts to cash in on his success with the Mariners.
That could push the sides to work together to find common ground, perhaps a shorter-term agreement or one with a lower guarantee, as Rosenthal suggested. That depends on how worried Los Angeles is about his ability to make an impact in 2016, though.
For now, the work to fill the void seemingly begins anew for the Dodgers front office.
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