MLB Free Agency: New York Yankees Sign Hiroki Kuroda, Add More Depth to Rotation

In what is quickly becoming a huge night for the New York Yankees, after first trading Jesus Montero for Seattle Mariners right-hander Michael Pineda, the Yanks' night has now just gotten even bigger with the signing of Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal.

Kuroda, soon to be 37, spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. His ERA did improve over his first three years, culminating with a career-best 3.07 ERA in his fourth. He's also been proven as an innings-eater, making 30 starts three times in four years.

It isn't certain how Kuroda's abilities will translate going from a weak offensive division to the AL East, which is consistently known as one of the best offensive divisions in baseball. Just the jump from the National League to the American League is a cause for concern, but only time will tell how it will affect Kuroda.

The bright side of this deal is that it's only for one year. The Bombers seemed adamant about not taking a long-term chance on anyone out there, so they got what they wanted in signing Kuroda.

This was the right move for the Yankees and it is the direction they should have gone in the whole while time it was available to them.

What I don't understand is why pull the trigger for Michael Pineda when you knew Kuroda was going to sign? We knew they needed a starter, but two seems like overkill, which is compounded by the fact that the "extra" move involved top prospect Jesus Montero.

The Bombers could've had their pitcher and kept Montero at the same time. But the Yankees did it anyway and now have more depth in their rotation than any Yankee fan could have imagined just yesterday.

For the first time in what seems like forever, the major questions about the Yankees' rotation have been silenced for now.