Worst case scenario occurring under Matsui

 

The Saitama Seibu Lions have been free falling with a 1-9 stretch over their last 10 games.

With their most recent loss, they sit in last place of the Pacific League and have the worst record in NPB through April 21. 

Why is this happening? We will dive into some of it.

Franchy Cordero's defense was exposed

The Lions took Cordero off their ichi-gun roster when his defense was becoming a liability, but his offense of being extreme hit or miss was also a problem. It was documented he had decent exit velocity for statcast measurements, but executing them on a consistent basis is the problem.  

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Everything goes wrong at once

Sometimes it's a reliever blowing a lead or the game being one hit away. Currently, the Lions sit at a 3-7 record in one run games. To be an A-class team, the record needed to flip, but with the trends of this organization, it doesn't look good.

One day Hiroshi Kaino blows a lead, another day, runners are stranded in scoring position. On a different day, Kona Takahashi has a poor outing.

On paper this trend shouldn't continue, but there's enough flaws to keep the losing coming.

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Offense remains poor since Shogo Akiyama left for MLB

Plenty of players were drafted in the last decade. Of the position players take. since 2014, only Shuta Tonosaki and Sosuke Genda are ichi-gun regulars where it's possible Yuto Koga is a starting catcher.

Ryusei Sato may be a solid hitter, but not enough to be a star. Others like Brandon Tysinger, Gakuto Wakabayashi, Shohei Suzuki and possibly Manaya Nishikawa have fizzled out not living up to their potential. 

The hitting coaches have barely changed in this timeframe aside from Yosuke Hiraishi being an addition. 

On the aging side, Takeya Nakamura and Takumi Kuriyama are both way past their primes and the former is only staying around with the goal of reaching 500 career HRs. 

What's even more sad is Junichiro Kishi is tied for HRs with Jesus Aguilar having two up to this point, an outfielder not built to play every day.

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Kazuo Matsui has no excuses

Matsui came back to the Lions organization in 2018 as a part time player/coach. He was later the farm manager from 2019-2021, meaning he saw several of these players like Nishikawa through the organization in their developmental phases.  

He was the head (bench) coach for the Lions in 2022 as a transition year for 2023. 

Currently, there's no progress on offense and it ends up being his responsibility when one unit is rather poor. Last year, his fixation on playing Minato Aoyama hurt him and the bullpen to cost the team games.

However, with this poor showing by players, the culture of losing could trickle down long term. The worst case scenario happened last week, when Hotaka Yamakawa hit two grand slams in one game off the Lions. 

The reputation at Seibu has been negative with several players leaving once they hit free agency. It goes beyond wages, more to do with culture and conditions. 

There's a reason why Kona Takahashi wants to go to MLB someday, part of it likely wanting to leave the Lions and not be stuck for awhile. For those tracking, he doesn't have domestic FA rights until after the 2025 season.

Starting pitching is living up to the hype with Kaima Taira, Tatsuya Imai and even Natsuki Takeuchi looking good. However, this won't mean much when the team can't hit. 

If this offensive trend continues, heads need to be rolling and it's very fireable how they could even be worse than last season, where Yamakawa also missed most of the games. 

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2024 Lions Digest: Takeuchi wins debut

 

The Saitama Seibu Lions had a successful first full week of the season by going a combined 4-2 against the Orix Buffaloes and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

They're currently tied for first place in the Pacific League with the Softbank Hawks having a 6-3 record.

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Game 1: Kaima Taira vs Luis Castillo

Taira pitched 5.2 shutout innings in a close affair. The only offense for the Lions came off an RBI groundout and sacrifice fly, where the latter was nearly an out. Ryusei Sato tagged up from third base and Orix Manager Satoshi Nakajima used a request when it looked too early on a fly ball.  Umpires ruled this too inconclusive to overturn the safe call.

Keisuke Honda gave up a run in the 7th inning, but limited hr damage as the Lions relief pitchers preserved a small lead in the home opener. 

Lions 2, Buffaloes 1

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Game 2: Natsuki Takeuchi vs Shunpeita Yamashita

Takeuchi threw seven shutout innings showing strong command and painting the corner. He limited Orix to only one hit and two walks. 

Jesus Aguilar drew first blood with a timely hit following a stolen base from Shuta Tonosaki. 

Manaya Nishikawa plated a run on a fielders choice while Ginjiro Sumitani scored another on an infield single.  

Takeuchi winning his NPB debut mirrored what Chihiro Sumida accomplished two years ago as it happened against Orix. 

Lions 3, Buffaloes 0

Game note: Brandon Tysinger was taken off the roster for a leg injury. 

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Game 3: "Bo" Takahashi vs. Kohei Azuma 

 Bo gave up two runs through 5.2 innings with a manufactured one via a wild pitch and sacrifice fly. With an inherited runner, Yoshinobu Mizukami gave up a timely to Tomoya Mori which was the difference. 

Azuma controlled the game with seven strong innings only allowing a solo HR to Shuta Tonosaki. The Lions had two chances of the bullpen, both squandered in the process. Sosuke Genda grounded into a double play and Takeya Nakamura grounded out, both times with the tying run in scoring position. 

Buffaloes 2, Lions 1

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Game 4: Tatsuya Imai vs Hiromi Itoh

This game was a tight contest where Franchy Cordero hit his first HR of the year. Holding a 2-1 lead, Imai gave up a sacrifice fly and later a timely to Yuya Ginji, but good defense by Manaya Nishikawa on a relay preserved a deadlock.  

Chances by the Lions were ruined by a failed squeeze attempt from Nishikawa and fly out from Yuto Koga. 

Taishi Mameda loaded the bases in the 12th, leading to a walkoff sacrifice fly by Ariel Martinez and a loss.

Fighters 3, Lions 2 (12 innings)

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Game 5: Chihiro Sumida vs. Takayuki Katoh

Ryusei Sato and Junichiro Kishi hit back-to-back home runs which set the tone for the Lions to control this game. 

Sumida pitched seven shutout innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Mizukami struggled in the 9th, where Abreu came in to record another save. Coming off the bench, Ryosuke Kodama added a timely.

Lions 5, Fighters 2

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Game 6: Wataru Matsumoto vs Kenta Uehara

The Lions offense exploded for a combined 11 runs off 12 hits, with five of those runs coming in the first four innings.

Matsumoto was also efficient, throwing eight innings with one run allowed, four hits and five strikeouts. His outing was only took 94 pitches. Yuta Nakamura made his Lions debut in the 9th to a scoreless frame. 

It was such a successful day that even Hiyu Motoyama had a hit off the bench for his first in a Lions uniform.

Lions 11, Fighters 1

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2024 Lions Digest: Imai dominates Opening Day

The Saitama Seibu Lions took the Opening Day weekend series in Sendai against the Rakuten Eagles.

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Game 1: Tatsuya Imai vs Takahisa Hayakawa

Both teams struggled to score as the starters controlled the game. Even getting on base was a struggle with only a handful of hits allowed. It wasn't until the 8th inning, where Shuta Tonosaki had a timely off Hayakawa to plate Yuji Kaneko as the only run. 

Imai dominated for six innings and had 11 strikeouts. It took an extra will to finish the 7th, but he got the ground ball needed when runners were on. He had an average velocity of 154 km/h (96mph) and even touched higher speed in the first two innings. 

Both Hiroshi Kaino and Albert Abreu closed the 8th and 9th innings, respectively where the latter recorded his first save in NPB making his debut. 

Lions 1, Eagles 0

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Game 2: Chihiro Sumida vs. Kosei Shoji

This one has one that of runners on base for the Lions as Franchy Cordero and Jesus Aguilar made big contributions and timely hits. Cordero had first blood with a hard double down the right field line to score Kaneko from first. Yuto Koga had a Modasho and eight out of nine Lions starters had at least one hit.  

Sumida struggled out of the gate, but some clean 3rd and 4th innings were able to get him into the 6th before being pulled for his first win. 

Lions 8, Eagles 2

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Game 3: Wataru Matsumoto vs Seiryu Uchi

The Lions jumped out to a 3-0 lead where Toshiki Abe had a brutal error misfielding a base hit. However, the Eagles responded in the bottom of the third as Abe redeemed his mistake by getting a hit with the bases loaded to tie it up. 

Matsumoto would only last five innings as this would be a no-decision. The Lions had a chance in the 6th, but pinch runner Wataru Takamatsu was picked off by the catcher at second base. 

Both teams squandered numerous chances including groundouts by Takeya Nakamura and Hideto Asmaura. 

Hiroto Kobukata came through in the 11th inning as Ryota Itogawa was making his debut in relief. A sacrifice fly ended 

Lions 3, Eagles 4 (11 innings)

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Lions can go as far as the rotation takes them

 

The Saitama Seibu Lions enter the 2024 season with high personal expectations. However, most pundits don't see an A-class finish given the recent track record.

Their rotation has potential to carry this team and becomes the most intriguing unit with the mix of Kona Takahashi, Chihiro Sumida, Tatsuya Imai, Kaima Taira, Wataru Matsumoto and even first round rookie Natsuki Takeuchi. They may even throw out Bo Takahashi to the unit. 

Last season's flaws came on offense and bullpen, where those who don't make the rotation should help the latter. 

Gone is David MacKinnon, where the Lions chose to sign Jesus Aguilar in favor of his potential for pop.  The Lions also took flyers on pitchers Jefry Yan and Albert Abreu who could contribute to the bullpen. 

OF Franchy Cordero is an extreme hit or miss, where making contact is important. 

For the bullpen, Hiroshi Kaino comes as compensation for the loss of Hotaka Yamakawa with high expectations. 

Tatsushi Masuda had an awful 2023 and enters this season in a contract year. Shunsuke Sato should be reliable while it would help if Albert Abreu can take a key role. Jefry Yan is a long shot in spite of his celebration antics. 

Domestically, the Lions are hoping for a mature Takuya Hiruma into the outfield and being an everyday player. Can Yuto Koga's bat improve when his defense was strong? Ginjiro Sumitani is back as a veteran mentoring the young. 

Only Shuta Tonosaki and Sosuke Genda are regular ichi-gun position players. 

The Competition

Looking at the Pacific League as a whole, there's a way to break down each opponent in a simplified manner. Who has expectations and who doesn't?

Rakuten Eagles 

2023 head-to-head record: 14-10-1

Core Four: IF Hideto Asamura, P Takahisa Hayakawa, OF Ryosuke Tatsumi, P Takayuki Kishi

Outlook: The Eagles came off a disappointing fourth place finish and lost their chance at the postseason on the final day of the regular season by losing at home to the Chiba Lotte Marines.

In a strange situation, Kazuhisa Ishii stepped away from manager with Toshiaki Imae promoted to manager after being a hitting coach. 

On the field, they've had an aging rotation where Masahiro Tanaka took a decline and Takahiro Norimoto is switching to a closer role after the loss of Yuki Matsui to the San Diego Padres. From failing to build from within, the Eagles have been forced to sign players to fill holes and this year is no different with import retreads in Nik Turley and Cody Ponce as additions. 

This team has enough to be mediocre or even in A-class, but many will point to the problems of this organization from within. We've made comparisons in the past that the Eagles are the Los Angeles Angels of Japan due to owner, Hiroshi Mikitani being too hands on and mirroring the latter in Arte Moreno in the baseball operations department.

 The Eagles also became exposed over bullying within the organization and a video was shown where Masahiro Tanaka was laughing over something and was forced to apologize. Tomohiro Anraku was used as a scapegoat for the bullying, but there is no signs the culture has changed in spite of his ousting and going to Mexico.

Most would say with the pitching being arguably the worst in the league, they have no chance at A-class, but their hitting can spoil some games..

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Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

2023 head-to-head record: 16-9

Core Four: OF Chusei Mannami, OF Go Matsumoto, P Takayuki Katoh, P Hiromi Itoh

Outlook: This season is put up or shut up for manager Tsuyoshi "Big Boss" Shinjo as he enters Year 3. For 2022, he was given a pass for being experimental and innovative to figure out which players can fit in different roles. Now, the excuses are fading with two consecutive last place finishes, including a bad 13-gane losing streak in the middle.

Kotaro Kiyomiya enters his age 25 season where injuries and performance have fizzled his development up to this point.  If he can put a full season together sooner, he will never be the star the team and fans envisioned him at drafting. 

Even with the loss of Naoyuki Uwasawa to MLB, the starting pitching should still be fine as long as Kenta Uehara has a full season.  They re-added Drew VerHagen as well as Sachiya Yamasaki from the Orix Buffaloes to fill out the rotation.

Problem is, can Big Boss manage properly without being too much of a gimmick? Players are all over the place including several former catchers in the field. Attention to detail also hurting as there were several one run losses in that losing streak from bad base running to a bad pitch.

Breathing down Shinjo's neck is GM Atsunori Inaba, who is also taking farm manager duties in Kamagaya for the season. Don't be surprised if the former Samurai Japan manager who was in charge of the 2020 Olympics is lined up for 2025. 

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Chiba Lotte Marines

2023 head-to-head record: 9-16

Core Four: OF Gregory Polanco, IF Neftali Soto, P Kazuya Ojima, P Roki Sasaki

Outlook: One could argue the Marines underachieved in spite of winning a playoff series in 2023. There was no one good in the Pacific League except the champion Orix Buffaloes and the Marines were trailing in pile of mediocrity and trash among other teams. 

For all the hype of Roki Sasaki and media attention he received for his holdout, the war isn't over as we won't know what parameters were signed for the 2024 season. The rumors of him leaving for MLB remain high when leaked reports said he wanted to come early before he's 25, sacrificing millions of it happened. He'll need to put a full ace-like season of work (150+ innings) which he has yet to accomplish. 

Offensively, the Marines need to rely on imports who came from other teams as Polanco and Soto previously played for the Yomiuri Giants and Yokohama DeNA Baystars, respectively, but the former had success last season in Chiba.

What's really bad is Katsuya Kakunaka leading the team in OPS among Japanese players with at least 90 games played, the Marines were structured to move on from the old guard into the youth, but the latter hasn't progressed as one would hope. 

Taiga Hirasawa is a bust while many are waiting on Kyota Fujiwara and Hisanori Yasuda to emerge. 

If the recent draft picks of the last four years can come together and develop, this team is a lock for A-class, but it will hinge on the offense.

Starting pitching is still a strength beyond Sasaki as Kazuya Ojima and CC Mercedes can eat up innings. It wouldn't hurt if Atsuki Taneichi can put in an ace-like season, as he was thought to be this after 2019. 

One thing that is very clear, they can't be written off as Masato Yoshii has shown to be a good manager and working with the best of his situation. Tadahito Iguchi, his predecessor, ended up making the worst bullpen decisions which led to a change after 2022. It could be a close tossup for A-class if the offense doesn't improve. 

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Fukuoka Softbank Hawks

2023 head-to-head record: 12-13

Core Four: P Shunta Ishikawa, DH Kensuke Kondo, OF Yuki Yanagita, IF Ryoya Kurihara

Outlook: The Softbank Hawks had an injury riddled season that saw several players out, especially at the pitching level. In spite of this, they still competed and nearly won a postseason series only to blow it late against the Marines.

Gone is manager Hiroshi Fujimoto, who was there as a two-year caretaker, but also created a tense culture within the clubhouse. Hiroki Kokubo has been groomed for this moment, formerly in charge of Samurai Japan during the 2015 Premier 12 and 2017 World Baseball Classic. Would think he's learned a lot since those mistakes and working at the farm level.

While there is no true ace in the Hawks rotation, they still have plenty of depth and arguably the best top to bottom in this department when needing arms to carry the entire season. Kohei Arihara played his first season with the Hawks with success while it's possible Carter Stewart Jr. could have a breakout season. Even an old Tsuyoshi Wada can take 100+ innings into his 40s.

Their biggest acquisitions were in the field, signing Hotaka Yamakawa to an excessive contract when he came off controversy and a suspension. They also added Adam Walker, who was on the Giants. 

There are always options from within they can reload and re-tool even without a true ace like the years of Wada's prime or Kodai Senga. With the new leadership of Kokubo, the switch should flip and they'll be back in contending status, but from a Lions standpoint, it was good to get a monkey off their back competing head to head better than previous seasons. 

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Orix Buffaloes

2023 head-to-head record: 8-17

Core Four: P Hiroya Miyagi, P Shunpeita Yamashita, DH/C Tomoya Mori, IF Kotaro Kurebayashi

Outlook: Orix is the cream of the crop even without Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Sachiya Yamasaki leaving. Everything is slated for their rotation to still be loaded with Yamashita and Miyagi ready to go. 

Offensively, they'll be above average but that might be enough to be No. 1 in the Pacific League given the state of the PL as a whole. Adding Nishikawa should provide stability to the outfield and while Yuna Tongu may have had a fluke 2023, he should be solid. Other veterans like Yuma Mune and Yutaro Sugimoto should be fine, but Kotaro Kurebayashi becomes the guy Orix needs for the long run to keep themselves atop of the Pacific.

Orix still has a strong bullpen with the usual suspects and with Satoshi Nakajima as the longest tenured manager in the PL, they should be contenders and a thorn for the Lions. 

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Where the Lions finish and go?

Right now, it feels like the Lions could go anywhere from as high as second place if they have a strong offense to dead last if injuries pile up.

The rotation is too strong to put them in the cellar, but can offense do anything and execute? Also it will be a question on how Kazuo Matsui manages the bullpen, as his fixation on Minato Aoyama came back to bite and hurt the team.  On paper, the Lions should be competitive, but it could come down to every game meaning something and the final week to determine if they're an A-class team or not. 

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Imanaga won't need to be a star with Cubs

 

Shota Imanaga signed with the Chicago Cubs in January as one of many players coming over from NPB to MLB. 

Despite having a high fanfare of projections in the heights of $100 million, he only received a contract with $53 million guaranteed. 

Due to the excellent timing, the Cubs were able to introduce him to the public at Cubs Convention, a weekend event for fans and the team to connect. 

"I am very happy to be here and a Cub. I want to thank the Cubs organization and I'm excited to pitch at Wrigley Field," Imanaga said through interpreter Shingo Murata. "I'm looking forward to being with coaches and teammates. Go Cubs go!"

Known as a "Throwing Philosopher," Imanaga said he earned this nickname through his studious habits beyond the physical practice in his pitching. 

Imanaga said Seiya Suzuki did not influence his decision to pick the Cubs when he entered the posting window. It was the Cubs themselves who approached and wanted him the most. 

"One of the things that resonated with me is [when the Cubs said they] believe in my potential and do what I do best," Imanaga said. "At the same time, I realize there's a lot of room for me to grow and I look forward to talking with my coaches and teammates to reach that potential when I can. "

Jed Hoyer, Cubs President of Baseball Operations, said it was an "extensive" process in scouting Imanaga. Both he and General Manager Carter Hawkins did plenty of homework when watching film and reading information. Hoyer even attended a game in September to watch him pitch.

"We're very excited to bring Shota on board," Hoyer said. "He's been a great teammate. He is very curious and he has his reputation of being a cerebral pitcher. He's very curious, as he wants to continue to get better and that sounds like a perfect match for the Cubs."

Hoyer added it was a bonus how Imanaga has already embraces the city of Chicago and talked about the great history of Wrigley Field. 

Imanaga's four-year $53 million contract is rather soft. The Cubs can pickup a fifth year option for 2028 after the 2025 or 2026 seasons and if they refuse, Imanaga can opt out as early as 2025. 

If Chicago picks up the team option, he will make a combined $80 million through 2028.  The Yokohama DeNA Baystars also received a $9.8 million posting fee. 

Imanaga said pitching in the 2023 WBC was an inspiration on how much he can improve his pitching and be even better than he already was in Japan with the Baystars. 

He started the final game against USA taking the first two innings before it was a team bullpen relay for Shohei Ohtani to close it out. 

His biggest transition to MLB will be pitching every fifth game as opposed to once a week in Japan. Imanaga said he would keep an open mind for advice to the changes ahead from a technical standpoint to the larger baseball he's holding. Other things in transition include a pitch clock besides hitters who are more power oriented.

While wearing No. 18 is a common tradition in Japan for pitchers as the team ace, Imanaga said in his press conference he wanted to be like Ben Zobrist, who was an important player during their 2016 World Series championship team. 

For the Cubs, they're coming off a season where they competed a year ahead of schedule. A September collapse by their bullpen and rotation prevented the postseason, but a finish at 83-79 is still higher than where most baseball experts had them going into 2023. 

Imanaga projects to be a No. 4 or No. 5 starter behind Justin Steele, James Taillon and Kyle Hendricks. On the back side, Imanaga will be with Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks. They lost Marcus Stroman in free agency to the New York Yankees. 

The Cubs will need to shore up their bullpen and it could be a struggle coming into 2024 with several uncertain names. However, the back of their rotation will also need to develop from within. 

Overall, it has been a slow offseason with Imanaga being their big signing, though they retained Cody Bellinger, who was coming off a comeback season in 2023. 

Seiya Suzuki also finished the 2023 season strong after injuries and adjustments hurt him in 2022.  There was a gaffe in September, which helped the Arizona Diamondbacks take the final postseason spot, but the Cubs have shown they're in it to compete. 

Aside from Imanaga, their biggest pickup was new Manager Craig Counsell, who they plucked away from the Milwaukee Brewers and within the division. David Ross, his predecessor, likely took the Cubs as far as he could. 

The division is easily up for the grabs when the St. Louis Cardinals came off a down season and the others haven't proven they can hang around for 162 games, but Imanaga's role could get them over that hump into the postseason.

He doesn't need to be an ace, but a pitcher to eat innings. As long as he keeps his rotation job and even goes deeper into games the Cubs will take that, especially how he's being paid like a No. 5 starter. 

There is plenty of reason for optimism for both the Cubs and their willingness to go into Japan for players. Hoyer spoke about the last seasons of having Suzuki help them in approaching Imanaga.  

"I think the whole organization has learned a lot from having Seiya from these two years and what things we can do better," Hoyer said. "I think Shota really benefits from us having two years of that experience. Our hope has always been that we want to be a destination for Japanese players. We go above and beyond to make sure that transition goes smoothly."

Previously, the Cubs signed Yu Darvish after the 2017 World Series. Other names include some being infamous for the wrong reasons like Kosuke Fukudome as well as Kyuji Fujikawa and the twilight of Koji Uehara. 

"We probably made some mistakes along the way and improved some things with Seiya, but our hope is that it becomes Seiya and Shota and many more. There are a lot of great players in the NPB and we hope the city of Chicago and Wrigley field and the Cubs will be a destination."

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Yamamoto will need to handle spotlight

 

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Yoshinobu Yamamoto joins the Los Angeles Dodgers with sky high expectations. Not only from his success in Japan, but by having the highest guaranteed contract in AAV and years for a pitcher. 

His goal was very obvious in wanting to win games. Yamamoto was overwhelmed by the teams who gave him an offer and wanted his services, but he had a simple priority.

"It was very important for me for a team that wants to win and not only now but in the future as well," Yamamoto said through his interpreter Mako Allbee. "I really felt that through this whole process, The Dodgers provided that opportunity the most. "

Several teams including the New York Yankees and New York Mets had interest, but he Dodgers matched the fiscal offer by the latter and their prestige won him over.

Yamamoto downplayed Ohtani's presence when signing, saying he would've picked them regardless for their winning abilities. 

"Through my talks with the front office, it was really clear that they wanted to win," Yamamoto said. But on top of that, the fact that Shohei was doing that (by taking less money up front) also signaled that it wasn't just the front office, but it was the players that bought into this winning atmosphere as well, so that really resonated with me.

I really felt the front office people were committed in the same direction."

Despite earning a large contract, the work has just begun to live up to it. The Dodgers are a team who had a great offense and fizzled out of the postseason last October because their pitching depth was depleted. 

Walker Buehler is coming off his second Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2023 season. 

Julio Urias remains a free agent and will likely be unsigned by the team after the legal trouble he's gone through.

They did add James Paxton and Tyler Glasnow by signing and trade, respectively, but their expectations don't come close to Yamamoto. 

Longtime pitcher Clayton Kershaw is coming off an injury and won't return until July at the earliest. Shohei Ohtani will obviously not pitch in 2024 coming off a hybrid procedure to his elbow instead of Tommy John surgery.

Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes spoke about Yamamoto being special both on and off the field with his work ethic. 

"There's a different level of intent and focus with each and every throw he makes leading up to that night's game," Gomes said. "Once on the mound, he features multiple weapons to navigate a lineup effectively. In addition to that, it is a truly special command that not only allows him to go deep into games, but when needed, he can feature swing-and-miss stuff that is elite."

Gomes described Yamamoto as "meticulous" for his routines in workout, recovery and diet to stay active.

In knowing something about MLB, Yamamoto got a taste of it in 2019 when attending a Dodgers playoff game as well as one in Oakland on a California trip. By coincidence, Kenta Maeda was pitching for the Dodgers.

Yamamoto's 12-year, $325 million contract through 2035 has no deferred payments compared to Ohtani. There are two opt-out options in his contract and they can kick in earlier or later depending on if he has Tommy John surgery or misses a significant amount of time with an elbow injury. 

If Yamamoto has Tommy John surgery or misses 134 consecutive service days from 2024-2029 due to an elbow issue, he can opt out after the 2031 and 2033 seasons. 

In the event Yamamoto is healthy through his first six years, he can opt out after the 2029 and 2031 seasons.

For the injury scenario, the Dodgers could gain a $10 million conditional option for 2036. 

Yamamoto will be asked to carry the Dodgers rotation with little to no grace period. He is only making $5 million in 2024, yet the expectations will always remain high. 

'There is that sense of relief of saying 'I'm finally here when I finally made it,' but obviously this is where it all starts and I still got to put in the work from here on out to continue to strive to get better," Yamamoto said. 

In reality, Yamamoto has barely been on a huge radar compared to others in NPB. While it's true he's won the Sawamura Award three times and had several accolades as an ace for the Orix Buffaloes, the pressure has been minimal.

Despite their recent on-field success, Orix is one of the least popular teams in Japan and plays second fiddle to the Hanshin Tigers in the Kansai market. 

Most of the media and fans of this area will be loud and critical of the Tigers like they're an East Coast team in an intense manner. 

The Orix Buffaloes on the other hand don't have attendance even close to Hanshin in percentage. At Kyocera Dome, it's very easy to walk up and buy a ticket on Gameday with an electronic kiosk available. 

In perspective, Yamamoto's humble beginnings started in the draft, where he was a fourth-round selection out of high school. 

"Looking back at my high school self, you'd probably be very surprised at where I am now," Yamamoto said. "But I really feel like I have been doing the same thing since I entered NPB at 18 years old. But I think I was also blessed and very lucky to be surrounded by the right people to support me to where I am now."

His career up to this point has led to an ability to rise up and. be anonymous in Japan aside from the baseball fanatics due to playing for Orix. 

Yamamoto gave up multiple runs in his only stateside appearance during the WBC win against Mexico while in Miami. He couldn't get the shutdown inning, yet he was bailed out by Japan's offense in the 9th inning, capped off by a sayonara hit by Munetaka Murakami. 

These first few months will be uncharted waters, which he downplayed how anyone coming to MLB from Japan will need to adjust to the culture changes and the schedule of pitching every five days as opposed to once a week. 

Southern California's media market doesn't have the same intensity as New York or Boston, but there's still plenty of people who will be loud if there is struggling. 

The rotation spotlight will be on Yamamoto as he comes to Chavez Ravine. How does he handle this pressure from humble beginnings? Time will tell.

"From today moving forward, I promise to all the fans of LA that I will focus my everything to become a better player and to become a world champion," Yamamoto said. "As a member of the Dodgers, I'll stop simply admiring the players I looked up to, but rather strive to become the player that others want to become." 

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Matsui's wait to MLB is rewarded

 

Yuki Matsui took the long way to MLB. 

Instead of early domination and a posting, he had to wait for nine years of service time to reach international free agent rights. It's the same path Kodai Senga was forced to reach given he was on a team that never posted a player.

Matsui, 28, wanted to play in MLB several years ago with hopes of being posted, but he didn't let the waiting time hamper him. He said he needed to improve his skills to be ready for the jump across the Pacific Ocean. 

"It wasn't really much of a wait for me to come here, Matsui said through interpreter Shinjo in a video press conference. "I mentioned [to the team] that in wanted to pitch [in MLB] back in 2019, but I really had to get ready and I had to hone my draft in order to be a player to be wanted by these big league teams. Throughout these years, I was working on my craft and building my body. It wasn't a long wait for me as I was just focusing on baseball everyday."

He officially signed with the San Diego Padres in December, being one of four Japanese players making the switch from NPB to MLB.

What helped the process in picking the Padres? None other than having Samurai Japan teammate Yu Darvish being there.

"Darvish is a pretty big presence for me," Matsui said  "It will be a big plus being able to play baseball [with him] and live close to him."

His contract with the Padres is rather fair for the market as a relief pitcher. 

On the surface, it's five years for the cost of $28 million. However, there are plenty of incentives and even an opt out and team option available.

If Matsui does not have Tommy John or an elbow injury that causes more than 130 consecutive days on the injured list from 2024-2025, he has the right to opt out after three years and making a combined $14.5 million.

In the event a major elbow injury happens, Matsui's $7 million 2028 salary becomes a conditional team option with potential to become a player option.

There's also an incentive based kicker where he can increase his salary each year depending on games finished, which creates the motivation to become the team's closer.

Matsui humbly brought up how he hadn't pitched a single MLB game yet and didn't expect to close games immediately. He even spoke with players who came from MLB to NPB on needing to relearn things in baseball in this transition. 

Despite winning a World Baseball Classic championship with Samurai Japan, Matsui expressed disappointment in himself as he didn't perform on the biggest stage in favor of other pitchers and didn't appear in the semi finals or finals against Mexico nor the USA. 

"Beyond the great experience with that awesome team to win the WBC, for myself I wasn't able to perform as I wanted to, Matsui said. "I turned that into motivation. I'm motivated to go to the States and put on my best."

Matsui was originally a first round draft pick by the Rakuten Eagles in 2013 and he made the transition to closer in 2015 out of necessity due to the team having thin bullpen depth. This call by then-manager Dave Okubo worked wonders as he thrived in the 9th inning. 

Matsui became the youngest player who have 200 saves in NPB with a career ERA of 2.40 and 1.11 WHIP. 

The Padres situation is a strange transition. Last offseason, they proved to be one of the bigger spenders going all-in and signing massive contracts with Xander Bogaerts in free agency and large extensions to Manny Machado and Yu Darvish. They even had Juan Soto acquired by trade during 2022. 

The 2023 Season flopped with unclutch hitting and wasting a Cy Young season from Blake Snell. 

Their run differential reflected they should've been better, but they barely finished above .500 at 82-80 with most of those wins coming too late. 

Manager Bob Melvin left the team for the San Francisco Giants, but the larger issue is within the ownership structure. It was revealed the Padres had to take a loan to cover expenses finishing the 2023 season due to the Regional Sports Network (RSN) deal at Bally Sports collapsing in the middle of the year. Their TV rights being dropped hurt their revenue and the payroll shedding is reflective of this going into 2024.

Padres owner passed away in November, making the structure going forward uncertain. 

San Diego is in an odd middle ground where they can't rebuild when Bogaerts and Machado exist on the roster, yet they don't look good on paper to take that step and be a contender. 

For Matsui, the bullpen position is open as 2023 closer Josh Hader signed a free agent deal with the Houston Astros. 

Former Softbank Hawks reliever Robert Suarez has been with the Padres since 2022 and could be an option as is Tom Cosgrove. 

Among other competition, the Padres also signed Woo-suk Go from the KBO's LG Twins via the posting system, who also has closing experience. 

The expectations for this team are in the middle, but the opportunity for Matsui to thrive in the bullpen and be a main reliever from setup to even closer role is there.

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