MLB insider confirms that SF Giants are among the teams evaluating NBP star pitcher

The starting rotation is one of the many priorities that the SF Giants need to address this offseason. They appear to be doing some background work on one starter as Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reports that the Giants are among the teams evaluating NPB star pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.

MLB insider confirms that SF Giants are among the teams evaluating NBP star pitcher

Sugano has put together an impressive career in the NPB. During his 12-year run with the Yomiuri Giants, he has pitched to a 2.45 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, and a 4.53 SO/W rate.

Yomiuri originally posted the veteran pitcher near the end of 2020. The Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays were among the teams to express interest in him during that period but no deal was completed.

Sugano returned to the Giants on a four-year, $40 million at that point. This included an opt-out after every season, but he chose not to exercise any of those options. Now that the righty pitcher is a free agent, he is free to go stateside without being bound to the rules of the posting system.

That right-handed pitcher is coming off a strong 2024 season in which he registered a 1.67 ERA,0.94 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, and a 6.94 SO/W rate in 24 appearances for Yomiuri. Despite this, he will likely see a more modest deal in free agency of one or two years with an average annual value in the neighborhood of $10 million. This is due to the fact that he just completed his age-34 season, so a long-term deal is not on the table.

On the hill, Sugano flashes a low-90's four-seam fastball with a cutter, slider, sinker, splitter, and a curveball. He has excellent command of his arsenal and knows how to sequence his pitch mix to keep opposing hitters honest.

One quality that stands about Sugano is reliability. He has made at least 20 appearances in every season during his 12-year career with the exception of 2023 where he only appeared in 16 games.

On the other hand, the Giants could use more reliability and innings in their rotation. Over the past two seasons, no rotation has thrown fewer innings (1,592.2 innings) than San Francisco. On the other hand, they also lead in innings pitched by the bullpen.

This is due in large part to injuries to the rotation and the aggressive use of openers and bullpen games during that stretch. That is not necessarily by choice but it is a function of having too many young or injury-prone pitchers in the rotation.

Adding Sugano would certainly check that back and give the Giants an arm that can soak up innings, throw strikes, and keep the ball in the ballpark.