The Yankees have their pitching pieces in place, now it’s time to come up with one more left-handed bat.
The Yankees officially announced yesterday the signing of free agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year deal worth $10 million with another million in incentives. They also announced they had come to a settlement on their last arbitration case, agreeing to a one-year contract with lefty reliever Boone Logan worth $1,875,000, just below the midpoint between the $2.1 million he had asked for in arbitration. Logan could add another $25,000 if he appears in 55 games.
The Yankees have interest in lefty hitting Raul Ibanez, according to sources. Ibanez’s average dropped to .245 last season with the Phillies, but he hit 20 home runs and drove in 84 runs. Ibanez, who will turn 40 in June, has drawn interest from a number of clubs.
Ibanez recently had a productive workout with hitting guru Rudy Jaramillo and believes he has corrected flaws in his swing. Over the past six seasons, he averaged 24 home runs and 100 RBIs.
The Yankees are not expected to pursue Cuban defector Yoennis Cespedes.
Kevin Whelan was designated for assignment to make room for Kuroda.
* Herman Hernandez, the general manager of the youth team Hank’s Yanks, sponsored by Hank Steinbrenner, died of a heart attack yesterday. Hernandez, 54, lived in Freeport.
“This is a terrible time in the Hank’s Yanks family,’’ Hank Steinbrenner said in a statement. “The greatest kind of person you can be is one who lives for others and Herman was exactly that type of person.”