Swallows Could Set Price for Ishii

One of the biggest obstacles to an agreement between the Dodgers and pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii has been the difficulty of determining the value of a highly touted left-hander who has nine years of big league experience in Japan but has not pitched an inning in the U.S.

But one team has established a market for Ishii. The Yakult Swallows, Ishii’s Japanese team, offered a five-year contract that guaranteed Ishii more than $17 million, a baseball source said and his agent confirmed. That was the Swallows’ last offer before the Dodgers posted an $11.26-million bid for Ishii’s negotiating rights in early January.

The Yakult offer appears to be the measuring stick for negotiations with the Dodgers, an indication the team and Ishii may be further apart than previously reported. The sides have until Feb. 8 to complete a deal, and if Ishii doesn’t sign with the Dodgers, he will resume negotiations with Yakult.

“There’s a number he needs to get to in order to come here, and that’s the total value of the contract with Yakult,” said Ishii’s agent, Joe Urbon. “We’re not necessarily looking for a three-year deal. We’re looking for total value.”

The Dodgers’ last offer was believed to be for three years and $8 million. Several published reports had Urbon seeking a three-year deal in the $12-million to $14-million range, which would be comparable to the three-year, $14.5-million deal Ichiro Suzuki signed with Seattle last winter. But $7 million of Suzuki’s contract is being deferred, which significantly decreases the average annual value of the deal.

After signing Kevin Brown to a seven-year, $106.5-million contract and Darren Dreifort to a five-year, $55.4-million contract and losing both to elbow injuries last season, the Dodgers seem reluctant to go more than three years on a pitcher, but it’s possible they could add one or two option years to a three-year deal for Ishii.

Throughout negotiations, Urbon has asked the Dodgers why they would expect Ishii to sign for anything less than he has been guaranteed in his home country. But it is unclear whether the Yakult bid is a standing offer that will remain on the table if Ishii can’t come to terms with the Dodgers. The Dodgers, according to a source, believe the Yakult offer to be far less than $17 million.

“We’ve thought all along this could go to the end, and if we have to use every bit of the 30-day window [to sign Ishii], that’s what we’ll use,” Dodger General Manager Dan Evans said. He declined to comment on specifics of the negotiations.

Mike DiGiovanna

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Clay Bellinger, who played on the New York Yankees’ World Series championship teams in 1999 and 2000, agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Angels.

Right-hander Donne Wall, who pitched in relief for the New York Mets last season, also agreed to a minor-league deal. Both players will attend spring training as non-roster invitees.

Bellinger, 33, was designated for assignment and then released by the Yankees on Jan. 17. The infielder-outfielder split time last season between triple-A Columbus and the Yankees, playing 51 games in four stints for New York and hitting .160 with 12 runs batted in.

Wall, 34, was 0-4 with a 4.85 earned-run average in 32 relief appearances with the Mets.

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Pete Incaviglia, who hasn’t played in the major leagues since 1998, agreed to a minor league contract with the San Diego Padres.

Left-hander Kent Mercker and right-hander Bobby Chouinard agreed to minor league contracts with the Colorado Rockies.

Mercker, 33, sat out last season after a cerebral hemorrhage suffered while with the Angels in 2000.

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Infielder Mike Lansing, who played for the Boston Red Sox last season, agreed to a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians.

Lansing, 33, played shortstop and second base last year with the Red Sox.

Associated Press