<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Bidding closes on IwamuraNovember 11, 2006NEW YORK (AP) -- Bidding closed on third baseman Akinori Iwamura, and his Japanese team has until Thursday to accept the highest offer.Major league teams had until Friday to submit offers for the 27-year-old, a five-time Gold Glove winner who played for Japan's World Baseball Classic championship team in March. If the Yakult Swallow of Japan's Central League accept the offer, the winning major league team has 30 days to negotiate a contract.Iwamura hit .311 with 32 homers and 77 RBIs this year. He has a .300 career average with 188 homers and 570 RBIs.The Seibu Lions of the Pacific League have until Tuesday to accept the highest bid for pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. The identities of teams that make high bids are revealed only if their offers are accepted.</div>I'd never heard of him till now, but hey he sounds pretty good. Wonder who bid the most for him? Watch it be the Red Sox as well and they get both Matsuzaka and Iwamura... :ranting:
He isnt expected to be the same kind of player on the next level which is why you haven't heard much about him. We're probably looking around a league average caliber Third Baseman. Here's something if you want to read up about him. I think some of their projections are a bit optimistic though.http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/...kinori-iwamura/The Projected numbers I was hearing was about a 5 million post and 4-5 million a year in a contract would get him.
