2012 MLB Free Agency: Grading the Most Anticipated Japanese Imports of All Time

Yu Darvish is the latest big-name player who's on his way out of Nippon Professional Baseball and into Major League Baseball.

The Japanese right-handed pitcher has reportedly received a higher bid than the $51 million bid that was placed on Boston Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2007. The bidder is unknown, but the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers were the most interested in the 25-year-old.

Over the past 17 years, many Japanese baseball players have made the switch to play in the MLB, but have all of them lived up to the hefty contracts and big expectations?

Let's take a look at those players and see how they did in their Major League careers.

Hideo Nomo

Grade: A 

In 1995, Hideo Nomo became the first Japanese player to come to the Major Leagues since Masanori Murakami played for the San Francisco Giants in 1964 and 1965.

Nomo and his agent Don Nomura found a loophole in the agreement between NBP and MLB that allowed him to leave for the MLB if he retired from the Kintetsu Buffaloes after five seasons with them. Nomo did just that and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, putting him squarely under the bright lights of a high-profile franchise with a large Japanese population nearby.

He dominated the league as a rookie, winning the Rookie of the Year award and starting the All-Star Game for the National League. "NomoMania" was in full swing in LA as he baffled hitters with his unorthodox delivery.

Nomo rounded out his career as one of five pitchers to ever throw a no-hitter in both leagues and over 200 wins in both the NBP and MLB. 

Hideki Irabu

Grade: D

Hideki Irabu put the most pressure on himself out of anyone on this list. After having his contract purchased by the San Diego Padres, he forced a trade to the New York Yankees. The Yankees made the trade and later signed him to a four-year contract worth $12.8 million. After the great success of Hideo Nomo with the Dodgers two years earlier, even greater expectations were held for Irabu.

The former 1994 and 1995 NBP strikeout record-holder had a very disappointing MLB career, finishing it 34-35 with an ERA of 5.05. He bounced between the Yankees, Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers before returning to Japan to play for the Hanshin Tigers for two seasons. In 2009, Irabu came out of retirement to play for the Long Beach Armada of the Golden Baseball League.

Ichiro Suzuki

Grade: A+

Seattle Mariners right fielder Ichiro Suzuki has been the single greatest Japanese player to play in the big leagues.

After signing in 2001, he proclaimed on the cover of Sports Illustrated, "I am very rare." 

And he was right.

Ichiro became the first Japanese position player to make the transition to Major League Baseball and opened the door for future position players. In the past ten years, Ichiro has since been selected to 10 All-Star teams, won 10 Gold Gloves, and the 2001 American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards.

His career is still followed very closely in Japan and he is a fan-favorite and legend in Seattle, opening up Japanese marketing opportunities for the Mariners along the way.

Kazuhisa Ishii

Grade: C

Despite the Los Angeles Dodgers posting over $11 million to get the winning bid, Kaz Ishii didn't come into the Major Leagues with huge expectations and he lived up to them.

During his brief Major League career the lefty was 39-34 with a 4.44 ERA. He was a very solid first-half pitcher but his inability to pitch well after the All-Star break held him back as a pitcher.

In 2005, he left Major League Baseball and returned to Nippon Professional Baseball.

Hideki Matsui

Grade: A

Unlike Hideki Irabu, outfielder/designated hitter Hideki Matsui lived up to the hype and pressure of playing for the New York Yankees.

The player who has been compared to Saduharu Oh, the greatest player in NPB history, came to New York known as a power hitter—previously, the other Japanese position players were all singles-hitters, not home run hitters. Matsui put up great numbers for the Yankees, hitting a grand slam in his first game and winning the 2009 World Series MVP award.

Even after leaving New York for Anaheim and Oakland, Matsui still has a very large fanbase and always has Japanese media following him.

Kazuo Matsui

Grade: C+

Kazuo Matsui became the first ever Japanese infielder to play for a Major League team when he joined the New York Mets in 2003 for $20.1 million over three years. Not only did he break the position mold of the Japanese player, but he also broke the mold of the serious and reserved Japanese baseball player—starting with his hair.

Matsui was touted as a player with great defense, speed and power but he never was able to put it all together. In seven Major League seasons, his career batting average was .267 and he only hit 32 home runs. On top of that, he supplanted Jose Reyes at shortstop only to commit 23 errors and be permanently moved to second base. 

While he was never the superstar that everyone expected him to be, Matsui was a serviceable journeyman and still plays today in Japan. 

Daisuke Matsuzaka

Grade: C+

Daisuke Matsuzaka came to the Boston Red Sox as the righty with the mythical gyroball and a newly-signed deal worth $52 million over six years.

When healthy in 2007 and 2008, Matsuzaka was great for the Red Sox. In those two years, he went 33-15 and went 3-1 in the playoffs. 

But in recent years, injuries have derailed Matsuzaka and his career, making him a point of major frustration among Red Sox fans. He has become inconsistent and underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2011.

In no way has he lived up to the monster contract he signed, but he has still been a fairly-solid pitcher when healthy.

Kei Igawa

Grade: F

Kei Igawa wasn't even an elite pitcher in the NBP when the Yankees bid over $26 million for him in 2006.

That point was the highest point of Igawa's MLB career. Since then, he has only appeared in 16 games with a record of 2-4 and a 6.66 ERA. On top of that, he hasn't appeared in a game for the Yankees since 2008 and has failed to make the big club each year due in part to his flawed mechanics.

He's now a free agent and the best he can hope for is a minor league contract worth much less than his original five-year deal worth $20 million. 

Hiroki Kuroda

Grade: B+

After 12 years of being an outstanding pitcher for the Hiroshima Carp, right-handed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda decided he wanted to come to America to play Major League Baseball.

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the bid for Kuroda and signed him to a three-year contract worth $35.7 million. The next season he had a solid year, finishing 9-10 with a 3.73 ERA and won two starts in the postseason.

Since then, Kuroda has only gotten more effective and more reliable for the Dodgers—he had 22 quality starts in 2011 at the age of 36. He hasn't become a star, but he is a very durable pitcher.

Kosuke Fukudome

Grade: C

Right fielder Kosuke Fukudome signed a huge $48 million contract over four years in 2008 with the Chicago Cubs. He got off to a very hot start in 2008 but quickly cooled off, finishing the year with only a .257 batting average with 58 RBI in 150 games.

Fukudome has never played more than 150 games in a season and after changing positions in 2009, he had the lowest range factor out of any center fielder in the league.

At the 2011 trade deadline, he was dealt to the Cleveland Indians for two minor league players and is now a free agent looking for work.