MLBcom, the official website of Major League Baseball, said on the 24th (Korea Standard Time) that “San Diego, which wanted to reinforce the bullpen, signed a big league FA contract with left-handed pitcher Matsui.” The contract is worth a total of $28 million (about 36.5 billion won) for five years, and the terms of opt-out after 2026 and 2027 depend on it. In 2028, the fifth year, a clause was also included to switch to a club option if injured.
On the same day, the San Diego club also gave a welcome message to Matsui. A composite photo of Matsui wearing a San Diego uniform was posted on the club’s official SNS, along with the phrase “Matsui, welcome to San Diego.”
He is 173 centimeters tall and weighs 75 kilograms. He is smaller than ordinary pitchers. However, he is a giant on the mound. He swept the Japanese pro baseball arena with his fastball with a maximum speed of 96 miles (154 kilometers) and his main weapon, splitter. Again this year, he recorded 2-3 losses, 39 saves and an ERA of 1.57 in 59 games for the Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Matsui pitches three types of pitches. He throws fastballs, splitters, and sliders. During his 10 professional seasons, he recorded 25-46 losses, 76 holds, 236 saves and an ERA of 2.40. He played as a closing pitcher representing Japan.
Because Josh Hader entered the market as an FA, San Diego had a bullpen session. San Diego, which was trying to reduce payrolls, turned to the Asian market. And then he began to take notice of Matsui, who eventually sealed the deal. 에볼루션 바카라사이트
MLBcom predicted that Matsui will be able to succeed in the Major League as well. “Matsui is definitely unique in height and pitch type,” the media outlet said. “He is a small left-handed pitcher who is 5 feet 8 inches tall (about 174 centimeters) and weighs 165 pounds (about 75 kilograms). He throws fast balls, splitters and sliders, which are formed up to 96 miles (154 kilometers) and 92 to 94 miles (148 kilometers to 151 kilometers) on average.”
“Matsui struck out 32.4 percent of the batters he faced last season. He has outperformed any relief pitcher in Japan over the past decade. Excluding his debut season, his career ERA will drop to 2.10,” he said, predicting that he will be able to overwhelm Major League hitters.
In particular, he is expected to show his strength against left-handed hitters. MLBcom said, “Just like Japan’s best pitchers, Matsui uses the splitter as his main weapon. Recently, an increasing number of players are using the splitter in the Major League, and most of them are Japanese pitchers such as Shohei Ohtani and Kodai Senga. As most of them are right-handed pitchers, Matsui’s splitter will be difficult for left-handed pitchers to deal with.”
Matsui’s position has yet to be determined. The contract has just been signed, and the recruitment of players must be made at the judgment of the coaching staff including the coach. Therefore, AJ Freeler declined to comment. Freeler only said, “Matsui will take the mound in the latter half of the game.”
Right-handed pitcher Robert Suarez will fill the void created by Hader’s departure. While Matsui is also a candidate for the closing pitcher, he cannot afford to leave the finishing touches to a rookie pitcher who has yet to make his Major League debut. “Nothing has been decided,” said Freller, adding that if he can prove his performance, he will be able to serve as a closer.
Matsui successfully strengthened the bullpen, but San Diego has to continue accelerating its recruitment. Two outfield seats remained vacant after trading Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees. Blake Snell, who has been an ace, is also able to leave as a free agent, so he needs to fill the gap in the starting rotation. San Diego is having a very busy winter.