Update: Dodgers, Hisashi Iwakuma agree on three-year deal - MLB

Update #2 (9:45 PM EST): It’s a three-year deal, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

Update (8:19 PM EST): Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that the two sides aren’t in agreement yet, but it is believed that the two sides will indeed reach an agreement.

Jim Bowden of ESPN and Sirius XM is reporting that the Dodgers and starter Hisashi Iwakuma have come to an agreement on a contract. There was a run on starting pitching in free agency and the Dodgers came up empty — watching Zack Greinke sign with the division rival Diamondbacks — so they reportedly pushed for Iwakuma on Saturday night and reached a conclusion on Sunday.

The Mariners and Giants were both reportedly in the mix for Iwakuma. The right-hander declined the Mariners’ $15.8 million qualifying offer, which means the Mariners will get draft pick compensation and the Dodgers will forfeit their first-round draft pick. They will, however, get two picks back as Greinke and Howie Hendrick each declined the club’s $15.8 million qualifying offers.

Iwakuma suffered a strained lat muscle during the first half of this past season, and he made only 20 starts as a result. He posted a 3.54 ERA with a 1.064 WHIP and a 111/21 K/BB ratio over 129 2/3 innings.

Details of the contract are not yet known but we will pass them along as soon as they are made available.

Follow @Baer_Bill

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”