143 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

@JeffPassan

Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano and the Baltimore Orioles are in agreement on a one-year, $13 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Sugano, 35, was one of the best pitchers in Japanese baseball this year, posting a 1.67 ERA and walking 16 against 111 strikeouts over 156.2 innings.

 

[BSLChrisStoner]

Wiki
https://en.wikipedia...Tomoyuki_Sugano

[BSLChrisStoner]

Baseball Reference

https://www.baseball...id=sugano001tom

[Nigel Tufnel]

Any chance he was Sasaki's childhood idol?

[BSLChrisStoner]

MLB.com: What to know about NPB's Tomoyuki Sugano

https://www.mlb.com/...yuki-sugano-faq

[BSLRoseKatz]

K/9 not exactly encouraging, seems like an interesting flier on seeing how well he can pitch to contact 

[BSLChrisStoner]

ESPN: Oct. 4th
https://www.espn.com...japanese-career

 

Sugano, who turns 35 in a week, is in the midst of a renaissance season that has seen him post a 1.67 ERA over 24 starts for the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants. He is a two-time winner of the Sawamura Award -- the equivalent of the Cy Young -- two-time Central League MVP and four-time ERA champion, and his reemergence paved the way for him to finally reach MLB.

 

This season, Sugano has averaged 92 mph with his four-seam fastball and relied on a two-seamer. He uses both an 82 mph slider and an 87 mph cutter about 20% of the time, and he can bury a splitter at 86 mph and loop in a curveball at 77. Sugano, according to DeltaGraphs, has positive run values on all six pitches this season.

That six-pitch mix has flummoxed NPB hitters. Only Hiroto Takahashi, Chunichi's 22-year-old ace who is expected to join MLB down the road, has a better ERA, at 1.38. What Sugano lacks in velocity he has made up for in command and pitchability. Over 156⅔ innings this season, Sugano has walked only 16 and allowed just six home runs -- in a league with a home run rate that is half of MLB's -- while striking out 111.

[makoman]

Sounds like Koji. I’ll take it, but add one more SP please.

[BaltBird 24]

Sounds like another Koji Uehara.

I'm cool with it. $13 million is a decent bit for an unknown, so I suspect he'll get every chance to win a rotation spot.

[mdrunning]

"Corbin Burnes" is a lot easier to say.

[BSLRoseKatz]

That's their first major Asian acquisition of the Elias era, was wondering when that'd happen after Koji/Chen/Kim all were solid signings under the prior GMs

[BaltBird 24]

If I'm not mistaken I believe it's the first time Elias has been involved in the Asian market.

MacPhail and Duquette dabbled.

Before them, did we ever have an Asian player? (Bruce Chen doesn't count, he was from Panama.)

[1970]

A decent start.  Still need another good starter. 

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Meh. Maybe he will be solid but you got to find a known quantity. Assuming we will sign or trade for another pitcher I wanted this spot to be given to Scherzer or Verlander

[BaltBird 24]

I think Verlander is cooked. Scherzer could have some gas in the tank. Might take this guy over both of them, assuming we add another legit arm to the rotation.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Id take the chance on either of those 2 over this guy. Nothing personal. He might end up being solid. I know Verlander or Scherzer brings great leadership and could help the young pitchers

[BSLChrisStoner]

I love the signing. 

With his control and pitch mix, I'm sure he will be my favorite O's pitcher to watch in '25.

 

Ideally he's the 4th or 5th starter... if he tires out ('24 was his most innings in a long time, and he finished with 156.2); will be interesting to see if he's usable out of the pen (in particular if he's capable of pitching back-to-back games).

[BaltBird 24]

Also, at the very least, if this guy doesn't stick as a rotation arm, it's very possible he could move to the BP and be a shutdown relief arm.

[Coker]

Happy to see the Os involved in the Asian market again. Signing certainly came out of nowhere. I am still getting used to 13M being an "average" contract, so I have to say I was initially thrown with the amount.

Anyways, color me intrigued.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Feels like we’re being trolled.