Keep Your Eye Out For This Import

Over the horizon and 8,346 miles away from New York is an Outfielder from Japan who is to be a free agent in the Majors this off season.

Kosuke Fukudome is a left handed bat from the Chunichi Dragons and has played for them since his arrival in the Japan league (1999-present). He was converted from Short Stop to Third to the outfield because of his questionable defense on the infield, but once he became an outfielder he amounted four Gold Gloves.

In 2002 he stopped Hideki Matsui from getting the Triple Crown by hitting .343. That wasn’t his highest average by far when he batted .351 in 2006 and hit 31 home runs, had 104 runs batted in and obtained the Central League MVP.

Fukudome was also a part of the Japan Olympic baseball team in 1996 and 2004 where he won the Silver and Bronze. He also appeared in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, where he hit a pinch hit 2 run home run off of Byung-Hyun Kim.

Wikipedia states that when he was asked if he wanted to play in the Majors he had the following to say:

When asked whether he had any interest in the Major Leagues on a television show in the 2006 off-season, Fukudome answered "It would be a lie to say I didn't. Playing in the World Baseball Classic increased my desire to play in the majors."

It is estimated that Kosuke Fukudome will get between 12 to 15 million a year for three or four seasons.