It’s not Corbin Burnes, but the Baltimore Orioles have signed a pitcher in free agency. Tomoyuki Sugano, a 12-year veteran from Japan, is signing his first MLB contract to join the American League East club.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first with reports of Sugano’s $13-million deal.
“Sugano, 35, was one of the best pitchers in Japanese baseball this year, posting a 1.67 ERA and walking 16 against 111 strikeouts over 156.2 innings,” Passan added in his initial report via X.
MLB’s Alex Fast tweeted that Sugano’s velocity isn’t his strong suit, but that he features a strong, six-pitch arsenal.
“What Sugano lacks in velocity he makes up for in command,” Fast tweeted on December 16. “His six pitch arsenal features a pretty nasty splitter and curve but he largely throws a four-seam and cutter.”
With both Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells recovering from season-ending surgeries, Baltimore was always going to bring in more arms than Burnes alone. Sugano’s signing with the Orioles shouldn’t be treated as a red flag for fans hoping to see last season’s ace return.
Tomoyuki Sugano to the Starting Rotation?
It’s hard to say what can be expected of a pitcher entering MLB for the first time, especially after pitching internationally for nine seasons.
But if you’re asking Roch Kubtako of MASN Sports, Sugano will slot into the starting rotation. He started off his report by calling Baltimore’s newest signing a starting pitcher.
“The Orioles went the international route to find a starting pitcher,” Kutabko wrote on December 16.
And he followed it up by noting General Manager Mike Elias’s efforts to pursue a starting pitcher.
“It’s unknown where Sugano slots in the Orioles’ rotation or how his pitch-to-contact approach will work in the majors, but executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has sought a starting pitcher to join Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer,” Kubatko continued.
Only three members of last year’s starting rotation in Baltimore remain with the team under contract: Eflin, Kremer, and Rodriguez. If Sugano isn’t joining that group, then more moves are on the way.
Jon Morosi: ‘Giants are Frontrunners’ for Burnes
It’s not over until it’s over, but all signs point to Burnes leaving the Northeast and heading West in free agency.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported on December 16 that the San Francisco Giants are viewed as the frontrunner for the veteran righty.
“The link is real,” Morosi said. “There is no deal close Lauren, at this hour, from what we can gather. But the Giants are viewed by many as one of the frontrunners, and perhaps the frontrunner, to sign Corbin Burnes. Remember, Corbin Burnes of course pitched in the Bay Area in college. He makes his home in Arizona, so close to home, if he ends up signing in the National League West. That would be an ideal fit, I think, from a personal, family perspective among the available options to him.”
Burnes went 15-9 with the Orioles last season. He pitched 194.1 innings, allowing 22 home runs to 784 batters faced, finishing the year as an All-Star and one of the best pitchers in MLB.
Now, he’s looking to be paid like it, with Morosi reporting that Burnes is seeking a bigger deal than the New York Yankees gave Max Fried.
“We know this. Burnes and his representation likely trying to go beyond the deal that Max Fried was able to sign in New York,” Morosi continued. “So that means it would be a deal in excess of $200 million dollars.”
Burnes watch continues. But so does the rest of MLB’s offseason, with Baltimore signing Sugano to a one-year deal.
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