Our Seattle Mariners may be one step closer to signing free agent starter Hiroki Kuroda. Seattle has been the favorite so far, with the Cubs possibly being their stiffest competition. You can probably cross North Chicago off the list of possible destinations for Kuroda now, as they have addressed their starting rotation from within. The Cubs just re-signed reliever Kerry Wood to a one year deal, and plan on moving Ryan Dempster back into the rotation.

Besides making the process quicker for the Mariners, this move could also help drive Kuroda’s price down. With one less team bidding we may be able to save a few million bucks.

To the contrary, the MLB Rumors Blog says that the Dodgers and Diamondbacks may be overtaking the Mariners in the race for Kuroda, noting that the Mariners are farther from contention compared to Los Angeles and Arizona.

Sources: Cubs Press Release, Chicago Tribune’s Blog HI-KUR

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