How the Orioles crafted a winning sales pitch to Tomoyuki Sugano, plus more MLB notes

Often major-league clubs effort to waste their cities erstwhile recruiting players from Asia. The Baltimore Orioles took a different attack pinch Japanese free supplier right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.

They sold their team.

“We made it a very baseball-oriented conversation,” Orioles wide head Mike Elias said. “I deliberation he really liked that.”

The Orioles’ signing of Sugano to a one-year, $13 cardinal statement Monday qualified arsenic a surprise, if for nary different logic than the past free supplier they signed retired of Japan to look successful their azygous was reliever Koji Uehara successful January 2009 (lefty Tsuyoshi Wada followed Uehara successful December 2011, but did not scope the fields until 2014 pinch the Chicago Cubs).

Baltimore, an East Coast metropolis pinch a minuscule Japanese population, would look an improbable destination for Sugano, 1 of the astir accomplished pitchers successful the history of Nippon Professional Baseball. But the 35-year-old wanted to subordinate a title contender. And the Orioles, successful a video telephone Dec. 5, appealed to his master instincts, offering ideas for really they could thief him improve.

Sugano, moreover aft winning his 3rd Central League MVP grant past play pinch a 1.67 ERA successful 156 2/3 innings, was unfastened to caller thoughts. Orioles pitching coach Drew French and pitching strategist Ryan Klimek were connected the call, on pinch Elias, head Brandon Hyde and vice president of master scouting Mike Snyder.

“I really loved our speech pinch him,” French said. “He was listening truthful intently and I retrieve seeing the look connected his look arsenic he processed it all.”

Tomoyuki Sugano's worldly is nasty pic.twitter.com/4sUiXP25Bh

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) December 18, 2024

Trackman information connected Japanese players is disposable to major-league teams, enabling nine officials to measure information the measurement they do pinch awesome and insignificant leaguers. At 1 point, French and Klimek made a proposal to Sugano astir transportation usage and location. Sugano had an answer.

“He had a existent bully back-and-forth pinch our coaches astir why he was not already doing immoderate of the things they were suggesting,” Elias said. “It was because of differences betwixt the American onslaught area and Japanese onslaught zone. Clearly, he’s a very cerebral pitcher.

“We person peculiar optimism that he’s going to fig retired a measurement to modulation to Major League Baseball because his bid and pitchability are truthful good supra average. We deliberation he’s going to beryllium capable to instrumentality scouting plans and make changes. He’s very self-aware arsenic a pitcher.”

Added French, “We thought a feline pinch his acquisition and versatility would astir apt bask the back-and-forth. He asked immoderate really bully questions and made it known he was aft a World Series title. After seeing the investments made since Mike arrived (in November 2018) and what is connected the sky pinch this caller ownership group, he could spot himself improving and succeeding successful this environment.”

One extremity of the Orioles’ caller ownership is to build a greater beingness successful Japan. Sugano, though, was hardly chartless to Baltimore, aliases immoderate different major-league club. He sounded for Japan’s astir celebrated and successful team. He besides sounded successful the World Baseball Classic and different world competitions.

Snyder said he began pursuing Sugano arsenic a rookie successful 2013. He and Orioles vice president of world scouting Koby Perez besides scouted him much precocious and impressed the pitcher pinch their knowledge of his profession and six-pitch repertoire. Sugano, likewise, impressed Snyder during the telephone pinch Orioles officials, asking done an interpreter, “Do you want maine to pursuit strikeouts? Do you want maine to eat innings? How do you want maine to pitch?”

“I wouldn’t limit his style,” Snyder said. “One week, we mightiness request him to get done six innings. Another week, we mightiness say, ‘Go retired and beryllium the champion you tin for nevertheless agelong that lasts.’ There are ways he’s going to beryllium capable to throttle things up and down a small bit. He’s intelligent capable and has the bid to really execute that.”

Sugano will look each the accustomed adjustments Japanese players must contend pinch — differences successful the balls and mounds, differences successful climates, foods and cultures. But the Orioles, who still want to adhd 1 much starter, are looking guardant to what Sugano mightiness lend not only to their rotation but besides to their wide attack to pitching.

“He mightiness person a point aliases 2 to thatch us, too,” Snyder said.

Cody Bellinger’s position: To beryllium determined

The beauty of the Cody Bellinger trade, from the New York Yankees’ perspective, is that he tin extremity up playing immoderate 1 of 3 positions – first base, halfway section aliases left. The Yankees judge Bellinger, acquired Tuesday from the Chicago Cubs for right-hander Cody Poteet, would springiness the squad above-average defense astatine each 3 spots, according to a root briefed connected the team’s thinking.

At the moment, the only certainty pinch the Yankees’ 2025 protect alignment is that Aaron Judge will beryllium successful correct field. If the Yankees motion a first baseman, they tin put Bellinger successful halfway and spell pinch Jasson Domínguez successful left. Or, possibly much likely, they would spell pinch Domínguez successful halfway and Bellinger successful left. Domínguez mostly has looked amended successful center.

Yankees wide head Brian Cashman has rebounded from the nonaccomplishment of Juan Soto by adding a pitcher who threw six shutout innings successful the 2021 World Series clincher, left-hander Max Fried; a two-time victor of the Trevor Hoffman Award arsenic the National League’s champion reliever, Devin Williams; and a erstwhile NL MVP, Bellinger.

Incredibly, considering they went to the World Series past season, the Yankees still request to adhd 2 players: A first baseman aliases outfielder, pinch Bellinger’s versatility giving them the elasticity to reside either position; and a 2nd baseman aliases 3rd baseman, pinch Jazz Chisholm Jr. disposable to play either spot.

Who wants Anthony Santander?

In a crippled starved for power, free supplier outfielder Anthony Santander is simply a move hitter coming disconnected a career-high 44 homers. So, now that Soto is signed, why does Santander proceed to linger connected the market?

Three imaginable reasons:

His profession .307 on-base percentage. His sprint speed, which past play classed successful the bottommost 18 percent of the league. And his mediocre protect metrics, moreover though Orioles head Brandon Hyde past play praised his activity successful correct field.

Teoscar Hernández, 32, is 2 years older than Santander. His .320 profession OBP is somewhat higher. His defense, though hardly Gold Glove caliber, is somewhat better, astatine slightest erstwhile he is successful correct alternatively of near field. And his sprint velocity past play classed successful the 83rd percentile.

Santander, who is seeking a longer woody than Hernández, according to sources acquainted pinch each player’s expectations, still figures to do well. But if teams position him arsenic moreover somewhat one-dimensional, he could extremity up pinch a lesser woody than he desires.

Pittsburgh Pirates keeping options open

So, really consenting are the Pirates to waste and acquisition right-hander Jared Jones? Not arsenic consenting arsenic they mightiness person been earlier they sent Luis L. Ortiz to the Cleveland Guardians arsenic portion of the package for Spencer Horwitz, according to a root briefed connected the team’s thinking.

The Pirates person worked difficult to build their young rotation. Jones, 23, is nether nine power for 5 much seasons. But for illustration the Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, teams pinch akin payrolls, Pittsburgh intends to enactment open-minded connected each possibilities, the root said.

The 3 teams mentioned above, each of whom are much competitory than the Pirates, mostly amended not done free agency but done trades. The soaring value of free-agent pitching mightiness punctual clubs to make fierce waste and acquisition offers for younger, cheaper starters. So, if a squad offered the Pirates a hitter of comparable talent and work to Jones, it mightiness beryllium thing they see — or, astatine least, should.

(Top photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun via Associated Press)

Ken Rosenthal is the elder shot writer for The Athletic who has spent astir 35 years covering the awesome leagues. In addition, Ken is simply a broadcaster and regular contributor to Fox Sports' MLB telecasts. He's besides won Emmy Awards successful 2015 and 2016 for his TV reporting. Follow Ken connected Twitter @Ken_Rosenthal