Right hander Hiroki Kuroda is one of the Dodgers most sought after players before the trade deadline, and may have cleared his last hurdle to being moved after his start against Colorado Wednesday night. Kuroda shined in his six innings of work, keeping the Rox to only one run, effectively lowering his ERA to 3.11 in what might be his last start in Dodger blue.
There are a few teams interested in Kurdoa per Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, Indians, and Tigers all taking a look. Kuroda has not been approached with any formal trades yet, but the Yankees and Red Sox have apparently drawn the most interest in the Dodgers' starter. A friend close to Kuroda told ESPN's Jayson Stark that he was waiting to get through his start on Wednesday before seriously thinking about any trades.
The Tigers are apparently high on Kuroda's list according to Stark, while the Red Sox where the lone team to scout him at Dodger Stadium last night. Kuroda's value as a trade piece his heightened due to the fact his contract makes him eligible for Type B status after the 2011 season, meaning that any trade made with Kuroda will ensure the Dodgers will receive compensatory draft picks in return. Kuroda is contract is for $12 million, but has approximately $4 million left on it and will be a free agent at the end of the season.
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