The Baltimore Orioles went the international route to shore up the team’s pitching staff.
On Monday, the Orioles announced they are signing Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano to a contract. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Sugano’s deal is worth $13 million for just one year.
The Orioles are expected to lose ace pitcher Corbin Burnes in free agency. A National League team is considered the favorite to land Burnes.
At 35 years old, Sugano won’t be the Orioles’ long-term solution atop its starting rotation. But Baltimore could potentially get ace-level pitching from him in the short term.
Sugano has won the Eiji Sawamura Award, Japan’s version of the Cy Young Award, twice in his career. He also has two Nippon Professional Baseball MVP Awards in his trophy cabinet.
Last season, Sugano looked as dominant as he’s ever been. The longtime Yomiuri Giants standout posted a stellar 1.67 ERA with 111 strikeouts and just 16 walks in 156.2 innings. He led the league in wins with his 15-3 record across 24 starts.
The new Orioles pitcher does not rely on velocity to get his outs. His 4-seam fastball averaged just 92 mph last season. But Sugano’s impressive command and wide pitch arsenal help him keep batters on their toes.
Sugano pitched for Japan against Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In his start against the Americans, Sugano allowed just one earned run over six innings.
It’s not the first time Sugano has tried to make the jump to MLB. He met with a few teams in 2021 but ultimately chose to return to Japan.
