The San Diego Padres have made a significant move to strengthen their bullpen, securing a top talent from Japan.
On Saturday, the Padres officially announced the signing of Japanese closer Yuki Matsui to a lucrative five-year contract valued at $28 million, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
This acquisition comes as the Padres face uncertainty with their former closer, Josh Hader, who is currently an unrestricted free agent.
Rumors of Matsui’s potential move to Major League Baseball (MLB) started circulating in October when reports from Japan suggested that the talented closer was open to offers from North American teams.
松井 裕樹投手、ようこそサンディエゴへ！
We have signed left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui to a five-year contract. Details: https://t.co/5Lbh0M0dWH pic.twitter.com/GOphizrecJ
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) December 23, 2023
Yuki Matsui, 28 years old, boasts an impressive track record in Japan, having notched 236 saves over the course of his 10-year career with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Nippon Professional Baseball league. If these numbers were achieved in MLB, they would rank him 42nd all-time in career saves.
Matsui’s standout 2023 season saw him record 39 saves while tallying 72 strikeouts and maintaining a remarkable 1.57 ERA in 57 1/3 innings of play.
This signing follows closely on the heels of another significant move within the league. Just two days ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers made headlines by signing pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, yet another standout talent from the Nippon Professional Baseball league. Yamamoto’s deal with the Dodgers is an astonishing 12-year contract worth $325 million.
The San Diego Padres are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 82–80 season, a stark contrast to their successful run to the NLCS in 2022.