The San Francisco Giants agreed to terms with pitcher Shun Yamaguchi on Saturday, per the San Francisco Chronicle. The deal is likely to be a split Major League/Minor League deal. The 33-year-old made his big-league debut last season, posting a poor 8.06 ERA and 1.75 WHIP over 25 2/3 innings pitched with the Blue Jays. However, Yamaguchi found great success in his 14 seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, winning 64 games with a 3.35 ERA. This deal seems like a low risk, potentially strong reward signing by the Giants. This deal has little impact from a fantasy perspective, as Yamaguchi cannot be trusted until he proves that he can carry over his performance to MLB.
Jays DFA Shun Yamaguchi, Open Up Spot For Young Arms
With the Toronto Blue Jays recent waiver claim of right-handed pitcher Joel Payamps from the Boston Red Sox, another move was required to make room on the 40-man roster. Toronto made that move by designating Shun Yamaguchi for assignment. The veteran Japanese hurler struggled in his first year in North America with an ERA of 8.06. While the underlying numbers suggest he may have received some bad luck on balls in play, he also struggled to throw strikes with a 14.2% walk rate. The move makes room for a young arm with a higher ceiling to claim the long-man role in the bullpen. Names likeAnthony Kay, Thomas Hatch, T.J. Zeuch,Patrick Murphyor possibly even Payamps could take advantage of the open spot.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Shun Yamaguchi had a tough debut versus the Braves in his first taste of Grapefruit League action. He lasted just two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs on three hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch against mostly projected bench players. His command notably struggled, but he showed a promising curveball that has excellent swing-and-miss potential. Yamaguchi is vying for the fifth spot in the Jays rotation, but this outing will put him behind Trent Thornton and Anthony Kay in the early stretch of the position battle race. There's plenty of time to make up ground, although the 32-year-old right-hander figures to begin the season as a reliever.
