NEW YORK (AP) — As Robinson Cano left the New York Yankees, Hiroki Kuroda agreed to stay.
Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said Friday the pitcher is returning for a third season in the Bronx.
Kuroda’s return fills one of three holes in the rotation behind CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova. The right-hander, who turns 39 in February, got off to a strong start last season before fading down the stretch. He finished 11-13 with a 3.31 ERA in 32 starts covering 201 1-3 innings.
Last month, Kuroda declined a $14.1 million qualifying offer from New York.
While the Yankees offered Cano $175 million over seven years, ESPN reported Friday the second baseman had agreed to a $240 million, 10-year contract with the Mariners, pending a physical.
