Akinori Iwamura is a gateway Japanese baseball player

November 12th, 2009 | by SL |

We shouldn’t read too much into this yet, but via MLB Trade Rumors via NPB Tracker comes word of Pirates’ interest in 30-year old Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi.

For the uninitiated, Igarashi has spent his entire professional career with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and apparently throws very hard. The right-handed reliever registered only three saves last season, but racked up an impressive 37 in 2004. The Bucs’ closer in 2004 was Jose Mesa, soooo.

Neil Huntington and many media members believe that the recent acquisition of Japanese second baseman Akinori Iwamura will help draw the heralded reliever to Pittsburgh. Chone Figgins is a free agent, too. Maybe we could have Lastings Milledge or Andrew McCutchen recruit him to come to Pittsburgh since they’re all you know… American.

After giving up a decent bullpen arm in Jesse Chavez for Iwamura it would make sense to replenish the stock out there. I’ll hold off on my “bring back Mike Gonzalez” propaganda for a few days.