Might the Red Sox look overseas to solve their starting pitching woes?
Boston has significant interest in Japanese starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, Boston Sports Journal’s Sean McAdam reported over the weekend. Sugano’s NPB club, the Yomiuri Giants, posted the 31-year-old Tuesday, giving Major League Baseball teams 30 days to reach an agreement with the right-hander. The Giants would receive a percentage of the total contract.
Sugano is viewed as a mid-rotation starter with a low-90s fastball and excellent command, according to McAdam. “Our guys who have seen him assure me he’s the real deal,” a National League scout told McAdam.
From his column:
Given his age and the attendant questions about the ability of Japanese pitchers to transition to Major League Baseball, it’s hard to imagine him landing a contract longer than say, four years with an average annual value of $15-16 million.
Of course, the Red Sox won’t be along in their bidding for Sugano. While multiple industry sources confirm the Red Sox have extensive scouting reports on the righthander and intend to be aggressive in their pursuit, other teams — including many big market teams, have similar levels of interest.
Under current rules, once Sugano is posted, teams will have 30 days to reach agreement with him. Once that is accomplished, the Giants would get a percentage of the total value of his contract.
Sugano has an impressive resume, including an NPB MVP and two Eiji Sawamura Awards, the NPB’s equivalent of the Cy Young Award.
He posted a 1.97 ERA in 137 ⅓ innings for Yomiuri last season. The New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres reportedly also are expected to pursue Sugano.
