The New York Yankees made a somewhat surprising move earlier this month when they agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda is coming off what was perhaps the best season of his Major League career in 2011 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was 13-16, but posted a career-best 3.07 ERA and struck out 161 batters in 202 innings. The move was one of a few made by Brian Cashman this month that showcased his ability to patiently play the market. The Yankees targeted Kuroda via trade last July, but he showed an assumed unwillingness to pitch on the East Coast. Kuroda has been a workhorse of sorts in his four-year Major League career, pitching at least 183 innings in three of those seasons. He has never had an ERA above 3.76, recorded less than twice as many strikeouts as walks and his groundball-to-fly ball ratio was 0.87 last season. That statistic, if maintained, will be a key to his success at Yankee Stadium, where balls have a propensity to leave the field of play. He was knocked around by the Philadelphia Phillies in his last postseason start, which came on Oct. 18, 2009. Kuroda allowed six earned runs on six hits while recording just four outs in an eventual 11-0 defeat. As troublesome as that might be, he won two games for Los Angeles in the 2008 postseason. He tossed more than six innings of shutout ball against the Chicago Cubs in a 3-1 victory and then held the Phillies to two runs over six innings in a 7-2 triumph. Kuroda comes to New York despite other veteran free agent options. The Yankees are believed to have had conversations with Edwin Jackson and Roy Oswalt, but in reality the Japanese hurler was the best fit. Jackson has been erratic in his career and would have commanded a multiyear contract at a similar price, while Oswalt has had serious back problems and was believed to be close to retirement at one point. The addition of Kuroda gives Joe Girardi a suddenly deep stable of starting pitchers, especially since Michael Pineda was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. Kuroda, well into his thirties, doesn’t have the future that Pineda does, but he could turn out to be more effective in 2012 and Cashman didn’t have to part with anything other than cash to get him. If Ivan Nova is able to come close to duplicating what was a spectacular rookie season, the Yankees will have three reliable arms at the top of their rotation in CC Sabathia, Nova and Kuroda. Pineda will likely rate higher than the fourth starter, but he does come in in a developmental stage with growth to be coaxed by the coaching staff. Even so, New York has the potential to give the ball to four above-average starters without much concern. The addition of Kuroda creates a logjam at the fifth spot and we could once again see Girardi feature a six-man rotation to ease the burden on Sabathia and Kuroda, who will turn 37 next month. Doing so would also allow the Yankees to assess what they have in A.J. Burnett. Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes. Most Major League teams would love to have that trio competing for the final spot in their five-man rotation, but the decision Girardi makes will be an important one. Cashman would love to deal Burnett and the $33 million remaining on his contract, but they won’t be able to showcase him for potential suitors if he isn’t starting every fifth or sixth day. There is also the belief that putting him on the mound, where he has struggled with a plus-5.00 ERA in the last two seasons, will only hurt his already microscopic value. Garcia seems to be the safest bet to lock down the No. 5 spot given his veteran experience and performance in 2011 when he partnered with Bartolo Colon as Girardi’s Comeback Kids. Hughes came into Spring Training with a few extra pounds around his waist and a few miles per hour gone from his fastball and struggled to fulfill high expectations. Given his inconsistency and past success in the bullpen, it would make sense for New York to make him a reliever once again. If he becomes the late-inning stopper he was a few years ago, it will be even harder for teams to rally late against the Yankees than it was in 2011 when Mariano Rivera and Dave Robertson dominated opposing hitters. Grade for the Yankees: B+ Kuroda may have relented on his past wish to remain on the West Coast with the Dodgers, but he steps into a great situation. He will absolutely face tougher lineups with the designated hitter in play and American League East foes like the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays, but he shouldn’t be one of the team’s main lightning rods. Grade for Kuroda: A- Sabathia has to be the ace, Nova will be expected to perform as he did in 2011, Pineda has to show he was worth parting with beloved prospect Jesus Montero and the fifth starter could be fending off two other candidates. Whether he slots in as New York’s second, third or even fourth starter, Kuroda should have the least amount of pressure among his peers. Of course, these are the Yankees and all anyone will remember will be how he performs in October if given the chance.