NPB pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano is heading to the MLB after his Japanese career, per Jeff Passan, and the Boston Red Sox might want to be contenders for him. The 34-year-old ace has pitched for the Yomiuri Giants for 11 years and originally posted for the MLB in 2020, and is ready to try for the big leagues once more.
In 24 starts this past season Sugano had a 1.67 ERA, 15-3 record, and 111 strikeouts. His K/9 was a little low, 6.9, but he barely walks as well, with a 0.9 BB/9.
Sugano has also won the Sawamura award twice, the Japanese equivalent to the Cy Young. He was also a two-time Central League MVP, four-time ERA champ, and was a champion with the Giant of the Central League.
Should the Sox pursue him? Absolutely. He is older so he wouldn’t require a super long contract, maybe five-years, and he would provide stable pitching the entire time.
He shows no sign of regressing, so you could get 24-30 quality starts out of him. His versatility is also amazing. He throws a 92+ mph fastball, and throws a slider, cutter, splitter, and a curveball.
If the Sox don’t take a swing at this guy with a fair offer, then fans should be quite worried about the future of the team.
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