The San Diego Padres have turned to Japan to bolster the bullpen. The Padres have signed longtime Rakuten Golden Eagles nearer Yuki Matsui to a five-year contract, the group introduced Saturday. According to ESPN, the deal is value $28M, and contains choose outs after the third and fourth years. There’s additionally an harm clause that may convert the fifth 12 months right into a group choice.
Matsui, 28, racked up 236 saves in Japan and has been top-of-the-line closers within the league during the last decade. This previous season, the left-hander pitched to a 1.57 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings. For his profession, Matsui owns a 2.43 ERA whereas putting out 32.7% of the batters he is confronted. The league common strikeout fee in Japan usually hovers round 19%.
Earlier this month Baseball America mentioned Matsui’s fastball “sits 91-93 mph and touches 95 with driving life up within the zone,” and his “diving 87-90 mph splitter is an above-average pitch that will get floor balls.” They add “Matsui tasks to be a low-to-mid leverage reliever handles each lefties and righties.” It is unclear whether or not San Diego will put him proper into the nearer’s position.
Incumbent nearer Josh Hader is presently an unsigned free agent and unlikely to return given San Diego’s payroll slashing this offseason. With Matsui now aboard, new supervisor Mike Shildt’s bullpen seems one thing like this:
The Matsui signing pushes San Diego’s projected 2024 aggressive stability tax payroll to $210 million or so, together with arbitration projections. The membership was initially anticipated to discipline a $200 million roster subsequent 12 months, however The Athletic lately reported the determine may drop under even that. Suarez, Jake Cronenworth, and Ha-Seong Kim stand out as commerce candidates within the occasion the Padres attempt to slash extra payroll.
Matsui is certainly one of a number of excessive profile worldwide gamers coming to MLB this offseason. The San Francisco Giants signed Korean heart fielder Jung-Hoo Lee to a six-year contract and the Los Angeles Dodgers added Japanese righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto on an enormous 12-year deal. Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga and Cuban righty Yariel Rodriguez stay unsigned.
The Padres went 82-80 and missed the postseason this previous season regardless of fielding a franchise document $248.9 million payroll on Opening Day. The group owes $39.7 million in aggressive stability tax, the second-highest invoice in baseball.
