Report: Dodgers back out of deal with Iwakuma

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already allowed all the big-name starting pitchers to sign elsewhere this offseason and now their mid-level signing has fallen through.

Per Asahi Degital of Japan (via Kazuto Yamazaki) the Dodgers have backed out of the reported three-year, $45 million deal after seeing the results of Iwakuma’s physical.

This isn’t unheard of. The Orioles had a deal with Grant Balfour a few offseasons ago before backing out after his medicals. Deals are never officially announced until after everything is finalized and often times news breaks before that is the case.

Iwakuma, 34, had a finger injury in 2014 and a lat injury in 2015, but he closed last season without any apparent injury. In fact, he was great down the stretch, going 4-2 with a 2.17 ERA in his last seven starts.

Overall, Iwakuma was 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA (107 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP and 111 strikeouts in 129 2/3 innings. He was an All-Star and finished third in AL Cy Young voting in 2013. In his four seasons in Major League Baseball, Iwakuma is 47-25 with a 3.17 ERA.

Without Iwakuma on board and having missed out on Zack Greinke, David Price and Johnny Cueto, the Dodgers current rotation is Clayton Kershaw, Brett Anderson, Alex Wood and Mike Bolsinger with Hyun-Jin Ryu coming off a shoulder injury and Brandon McCarthy likely out until the All-Star break as he comes off Tommy John surgery.

Iwakuma could still sign with the Dodgers on a lesser deal. Note the Red Sox reported three-year deal with Mike Napoli ended up being a one-year deal before the 2013 season due to concerns about his hips.

Still, the Dodgers are again left trying to find some starting pitcher depth to open the season.

Hisashi Iwakuma’s deal with L.A. could be on hold. (USATSI)

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