The Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball have officially posted right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, according to Yakyu Cosmopolitan.
It was reported back in October that the Tigers planned to post Fujinami. Now that it’s been made official, he and his representatives will have 30 days to secure a major league contract. If a deal is reached, the signing team will also owe money to the Tigers, with that amount being relative to the size of the contract given to Fujinami. Any big league team that signs him would owe the Tigers a fee equal to 20% of the contract’s first $25MM, 17.5% of the next $25MM and 15% of any dollars thereafter. If he does not reach an agreement with an MLB team, he will return to the Tigers for 2023.
It’s possible that Fujinami will find that there’s a wide variance in the level of interest he gets from major league teams, given the inconsistency he’s shown thus far in his career. He was a highly-touted young arm in his high school days, often compared to Shohei Ohtani as the top names in their draft class. In 2013, he was thrown into the Tigers’ rotation despite being just 19 years old at the time. He ended up throwing 137 2/3 innings with a 2.75 ERA, 126 strikeouts, 44 walks and a couple of hit batters. He continued producing strong results over the next two seasons, tossing 163 innings in 2014 with a 3.53 ERA and then 199 frames in 2015 with a 2.40 ERA.
From that point on, however, control issues put a damper on his performance. He walked 70 batters in 169 innings in 2016 and then gave out 45 free passes in only 57 innings in 2017, getting sent down to the minors. He’s been shuttled between the farm and the big leagues since then, struggling to show enough improved command to keep a regular job. That was still the case in 2022, as he made 25 appearances on the year but only 16 of them were at the NPB’s top level. In those 16 appearances for Hanshin, he logged 66 2/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA, striking out 65 while walking 21 batters. He faced a total of 276 batters, meaning his walk rate was 7.6%, which is actually respectable. For reference, this year’s MLB average was 8.2%. That’s a huge improvement over 2021, where he walked 40 out of 238 batters faced for a rate of 16.8%.
Taking all this into consideration, the 30 MLB clubs will likely be able to reach different conclusions of Fujinami’s value. The most bullish teams can point to his early career success and 101 mph fastball. Despite his long tenure in NPB, he’s just 28 years old, turning 29 in April. He also showed some improved control this season. For those who take the pessimistic side, they could point to the fact that Fujinami hasn’t been able to maintain a consistent level of performance for years.
There’s little doubt that Fujinami has some skills to bring to the table. The question will be how much major league teams believe they can use their tools to harness Fujinami into a useful pitcher in North America. It makes him an intriguing wild card addition to the offseason and we will see how his market plays out over the remainder of the year.
Likely a reliever.
That’s what it seems like. The value in some of these Japanese guys is literally only one year. Until some more advance scouting at the big league level gets done on them and hitters start to make adjustments. One year 6 million with some incentives based on IP club option for 2nd year. There’s enough of these guys that come over and fail that I’d be confident im not getting Darvish, nomo Or tanaka.
Looks like he could be a good relief pitcher in the show. Not seeing a lot of innings past couple years
You don’t see too many 6’6” Japanese guys. Darvish is close, but he’s only half Japanese.
What’s the the half of him?
Iranian
I heard he was half Chinese.
He’s Persian.
4.1 BB/9 Career?!! Can you say WILD card?
Wonder if there’s an organization that thinks “we can fix that control issue” and jumps ahead with a big offer.
Pass.
Here You go Bloom!!! Your Closer
Wouldn’t mind the Orioles rolling the dice on him if the bidding doesn’t get too crazy. Our pitching coaches have coaxed solid results out of guys with similar control issues and weaker baseline stuff.
I might buy him as a relief convert if he was interested. Control issues tend to dissipate in the bullpen. With a big fastball, he would have more margin for error. I could see the Red Sox seeing some value in this guy with so many holes to fill. Maybe a split contract that pays him a bonus based on IP or games started vs total appearance, holds, and/or saves. Maybe $30M-$40M/4yrs plus incentives. Supposedly he has a solid splitter and slider, which means the stuff can play at the MLB level, but it’ll be the control that will determine his success.
28 year old reliever with control issues, sounds like a guy you would offer a minor league invite to spring training, not someone you would pay just to have negotiating rights to
Dodgers can fix him
That’s what I was thinking. Mark Prior is the kind of coach who get the most out of him and fix his inconsistencies.
Japanese reliever that isn’t very good…..no thanks
long history of complaints that his coaching and FO wildly misused him. will be interested to see how he fares stateside, possibly with more competent coaching
Hell go to a large market team that will overpay for a guy with no experience here.
Great target for the Rangers, grab him and Senga
Shun Yamaguchi 2.0
Shun threw 89 mph this guy throws 100
He was once considered one of the greatest, most exciting young players ever. And for a brief period, he really was. And then his manager did this to him: Having thrown 131 pitches through seven innings at rainy Koshien Stadium on Friday night, Hanshin Tigers manage Tomoaki Kanemoto sent right-hander Shintaro Fujinami back out to face the visitors in the top of the eighth inning. He allowed three runs on three hits and a walk, while hitting a batter before leaving the mound after 161 pitches.
After the game, Kanemoto said — according to Sankei Sports — that his purpose was to teach the 22-year-old a lesson.
Roughly translated: “The way he (Fujinami) opened the game was everything. The walks ruined him. My intent was that he was going to throw until the end, however many pitches he threw and however many runs he allowed. I want him to feel the responsibility (that comes with being an ace). I think that’s what he has to feel.”
They took a brilliant, talented guy and destroyed him. He made his debut as an 18-year-old and was a star and known to everyone since he dominated in high school for 2 years at Koshien. He was a number one pick. He had not only blazing speed (98+) but a devastating fork. He also was funny and a star off the field. And then Kanemoto abused him. (The fans rained hell down on Kanemoto, who, as you guessed was later out of baseball.)
A team like the Dodgers could definitely bring him back. He still has amazing stuff, an unreal fork. He is only 28.
He also helped to achieve a new way to treat pitchers because of the abuse he suffered. It is rare that a manager risks getting sacked and having fans abuse him by leaving in a young pitcher too long. When another dumb guy manager Sasaoka (also sacked now) started the year leaving pitchers in too long resulting in some arm issues, the anger and abuse toward the manager quickly had him change policy and more care was shown toward the Carp’s young aces. The abuse in Little League ended and now many high schools have ended it as well. So the hope is Fujinami, healthy again and in the hands of good coaches for a team like the Dodgers or others who are bright, will really shine. He still has the amazing stuff. I remember seeing him pitch and fans would literally gasp at how brilliant he was. A whole stadium of that and those were the opposing fans!
GA — Thanks for the background. Hope he turns it around in mlb.
This is great stuff GA. Thanks