We've hashed over the pending free-agent pitchers list ad naseum. Kevin Millwood would be outstanding for a two-year, $4M contract, but Scott Boras did a spit take from 3000 miles away just from my typing that. I'd like to think he's covered in lowfat milk, and doesn't even know why.
Two pitchers who we have left out of the discussion, however, are Daisuke Matsuazka and Koji Uehara. Both are restricted free agents until after 2006, but both could come over after this year in the same way Ichiro! came over to the Mariners. Matsuazka is the guy everybody already knows about. He's 25, and already has an outstanding track record of success; kind of the A-Rod or Vlad of Japanese pitchers.
Uehara, on the other hand, might fly a little bit below the radar. His stats are obscene: a 942/143 K/BB ratio is going to translate well in any country. I feel much more comfortable projecting Japanese pitchers than hitters, so this isn't exactly a Rene Arocha (or Kaz Matsui) situation.
Your pre-game thoughts?