please link the actual source.

Every year, the relationship between American baseball and Japanese baseball gets a little more complicated. Reports Tuesday indicate that Yusei Kikuchi, a high school pitcher expected to be the first player picked in Nippon Professional Baseball’s amateur draft late next month, is contemplating skipping the draft in favor of coming to America.

That may not seem like a big deal, but under Major League Baseball’s current rules, Kikuchi would not be subject to the MLB Draft and instead be declared a free agent, free to sign with any American team he wants. In light of Junichi Tazawa making a similar jump last year, skipping the NPB draft for America now carries a three-year ban, but Kikuchi would be the second top prospect in two years to make the leap, should he choose to do so.

http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/09/29/yusei-kikuchi-could-bypass-npb-draft-for-american-baseball/

I just want him so I can post Pokemon gifs

Doesn’t seem to have lightning stuff…..only topped out at around 91 or so.,,,,am I missing the buzz on this kid?

So is this kid in line to get a deal similar to what Junichi Tazawa signed before last season from Boston, like 3-4 million over a few years, or a deal comparable to, say what Strasburg signed for, like 15 million or so? (Probably from Boston)

Seems like this kid is now the most hyped pitcher not currently signed behind Alroidis Chapman who at one point, was speculated to get a deal similar to Jose Contreras did, so I would have to imagine that if Yusei Kikuchi doesn’t get drafted, some team will be willing to throw out a crazy amount to this kid, eliminating Cleveland from the bidding long before it begins.

Then again….the Indians have really invested a lot into the farm sytems pitching in the past couple years, at least by adding quite a few “power” arms. Maybe we’ll be suprised, I just don’t expect anything to happen.