Padres And Yuki Matsui Reached $28 Million, Five Year Deal

“Delivered in a really tidy manner. Decent movers.” Upon the 28-year-old left-hander’s $28 million, five-year contract with the Padres, general manager of San Diego A.J. Preller stated on Saturday, “I think pitchers come in all shapes and sizes.” “His hand is left. He works quickly and effectively. He is, thus far in Japan, one of the outstanding pitchers who are under six feet tall. Of course, there have been others. “

At the age of 18, Matsui made his big league debut in Japan. He went on to play for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, where he was a five-time All-Star and led the Pacific League in saves in 2019–2022, 2022, and current season. This season, he recorded a 2-3 record with a 1.57 ERA, a career-high 39 saves, 72 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 57 1/3 innings.

In Nippon Professional Baseball, he has a 2.40 lifetime ERA, 236 saves, and a 1.11 WHIP. After reaching 200 saves, Matsui became the youngest pitcher in the main leagues of Japan.

As someone who was a highly regarded amateur player, he has a fantastic track record in Japan that dates back to his amateur days. Preller said that it is really unusual for him to perform what he did so well straight away. “Just constant performance and excellence over the course of ten years.”

Matsui was a free agent with nine years of service time under his belt, therefore there was no posting fee associated with his acquisition. There are opt-outs in the agreement.

In the group stage World Baseball Classic matchup between Japan and South Korea, Matsui had one strikeout in a flawless inning. His 23-pitch combination included five changeups, two sliders, one curveball, and 15 fastballs with an average velocity of 91.7 mph.

“We are aware that he can pitch behind the bullpen. He has shaken hands as a closer in the back of the bullpen, so whether he pitches at position seven, eight, or nine, we know he can throw in those high pressure positions.”

Preller

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