We said from the start that Kuma was a priority for us… Obviously, the developments from the last few days allowed us to get back in the game. It’s a credit to our ownership; to Howard Lincoln, to Kevin Mather, to our entire ownership group that we were able to get aggressive and find a way to bring Kuma back to the Mariners. We’re all thrilled. This is a big move for us. We feel like this really puts a finishing touch on what we think has been a very productive off-season.
— Seattle Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto, confirming that the team has re-signed pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma to a one-year contract with vesting options for 2017 and 2018. The news was officially confirmed on the team’s Twitter account.