2020-2021 Hot Stove Thread

[Coeurd’Alene J]

Japan sending yet another pitcher to the mlb

Earlier this week, Sanspo reported that the Yomiuri Giants were going to post Tomoyuki Sugano. Considered one of, if not the best, pitchers in Japan, the 31 year old could potentially be a sound investment for a Major League club in need of pitching.

The right-hander complements his fastball with a bevy of secondary pitches, with his slider and splitter being the most effective. He throws two different slider variants, one with more velocity and less break that acts similar to a cutter and one with less velocity and tight, two-plane break. He throws his slider roughly 21.9% of the time, with the faster variant averaging 86 MPH and the slower version averaging 82 MPH. His splitter falls off the table with a ton of vertical break, averaging 85 MPH. Sugano does not throw the pitch very much, using it roughly 10% of the time. Both pitches tunnel extremely well with his fastball, which is partially why they are so effective. He rounds out his regular repertoire with a big, loopy curveball that sits in the upper-70s, that he throws roughly 9% of the time. In addition to these pitches, he also throws a sinker and changeup, but rarely throws these pitches with any regularity.

Sugano possesses exceptional command of all his pitches and has a reputation for being a pinpoint-control artist. Over the course of his 1357.0 professional innings, the right-hander has a 1.8 BB/9 rate.

Sugano’s batted ball profile has trended in the wrong direction in the last few years. His groundball rate has decreased while his flyball rate has increased, to the point that the right-hander allowed more flyballs in 2020 than he did groundballs, the first time in his career that this was the case. This trend is worrying, as his hit hard rate has incrementally increased since 2014, when the data first began being tracked; in 2014, Sugano had a 25.9% hit hard rate, as opposed to 2020, when he had a 33.2% hit hard rate in 2020.

This is now the second pitcher to be posted this yr What are the odds we are in the bidding.....about 99%

He profiles well for BP use.

He also profiles with a six man rotation

[D-train]

Trevor May's love of Ken Griffey Jr. apparently wasn't enough to lead him to Seattle. Signs with the Mets on a two year deal. No big loss imo.

[D-train]

Things are starting to simmer on the Stove:

Jon Heyman
@JonHeyman
·
42s
Mike Minor KC deal: 18M for 2. Breakdown is 7M in 2021. 10M in 2022, and 1M buyout for 2023 on 13M option. So potential for 30M.
@JeffPassan
on it

[harmony]

Trevor May's love of Ken Griffey Jr. apparently wasn't enough to lead him to Seattle. Signs with the Mets on a two year deal. No big loss imo.

Should the Mariners turn their attention to less-expensive bullpen options such as free agents Jeremy Jeffress, Justin Wilson and Keone Kela?

[D-train]

Trevor May's love of Ken Griffey Jr. apparently wasn't enough to lead him to Seattle. Signs with the Mets on a two year deal. No big loss imo.

Should the Mariners turn their attention to less-expensive bullpen options such as free agents Jeremy Jeffress, Justin Wilson and Keone Kela?

Wow, Jeffress is the Personification of a reliever and why a team should never commit significant resources to them.

ERA Whip
2016 2.33 1.26
2017 4.68 1.64
2018 1.29 0.99
2019 5.02 1.37
2020 1.54 0.94

That is insanity.

[D-train]

Trevor May's love of Ken Griffey Jr. apparently wasn't enough to lead him to Seattle. Signs with the Mets on a two year deal. No big loss imo.

Should the Mariners turn their attention to less-expensive bullpen options such as free agents Jeremy Jeffress, Justin Wilson and Keone Kela?

No interest in Wilson. The guys we have now are likely just as good for minimum salary. I do like Kela for $2-3 M. Might even go two years given he is only 27.

[bpj]

Eddie Rosario seems like he's worth a look in the OF given what's available short term. Was just DFA'd to save $'s.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/eddie ... osition=OF

[D-train]

Eddie Rosario seems like he's worth a look in the OF given what's available short term. Was just DFA'd to save $'s.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/eddie ... osition=OF

Saw that. He is the absolute perfect fit. If they let him go you know we are not doing jack to improve the team and are obsessed with saving money.

[bpj]

Eddie Rosario seems like he's worth a look in the OF given what's available short term. Was just DFA'd to save $'s.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/eddie ... osition=OF

Saw that. He is the absolute perfect fit. If they let him go you know we are not doing jack to improve the team and are obsessed with saving money.

Even the left handed bat they want, costs only dollars. Seems like a good opportunity to painlessly fill a hole.

[D-train]

Eddie Rosario seems like he's worth a look in the OF given what's available short term. Was just DFA'd to save $'s.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/eddie ... osition=OF

Saw that. He is the absolute perfect fit. If they let him go you know we are not doing jack to improve the team and are obsessed with saving money.

Even the left handed bat they want, costs only dollars. Seems like a good opportunity to painlessly fill a hole.

13 HRs in 57 games last season. Lewis lead the team with 11 in 58 games.