Longtime NPB ace pitcher and former SF Giants target expected to pitch in the majors in 2025

Could the SF Giants reignite interest in a longtime star NPB pitcher? According to multiple reports, righty pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano is expected to come stateside after a 12-year run with the Yomiuri Giants of the NPB.

Longtime NPB ace pitcher and former SF Giants target expected to pitch in the majors in 2025

The Giants had expressed considerable interest when Yomiuri posted him in December of 2020. However, the 30-day posting period expired but Sugano was unable to agree to a contract with a major league team.

The Giants, Chicago White Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays were believed to be among the teams that pursued the veteran pitcher. Despite this, Sugano did agree to a four-year, $40 pact to remain with Yomiuri. His contract did include an opt-out after every season but he decided not to exercise that clause.

That contract has now expired and Sugano has more than the necessary service time of nine years to not be subject to the rules of the posting system this time around. The posting system can be a costly method in terms of player acquisition.

For example, the Giants signed Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million pact last offseason. This does not include the $18.8 million posting fee that the Giants owed to the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO.

On the other hand, the Giants have a need for a reliable starting pitcher behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. Hayden Birdsong, Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks, and others will be part of that mix as well.

Sugano has proven to be a durable rotation arm, making at least 20 starts during the regular season in 10 of his 12 seasons in the NPB. Overall, he has posted a 2.45 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, and a 4.53 SO/W rate with the Giants.

This includes a strong 2024 campaign where he tallied a 1.67 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, and a 6.94 SO/W rate in 24 outings with Yomiuri. During his time in the NPB, he has earned eight All-Star selections, four ERA titles, and Sawamura Awards. The Sawamura Award is the equivalent of the Cy Young Award.

On the mound, the 35-year-old flashes a low 90's four-seam fastball with a cutter, slider, splitter, sinker, and curveball. He has good command of his arsenal and knows how to mix his pitches up to keep hitters honest.