The Oakland Athletics have made a key signing to bolster their pitching staff.
Top Japanese right-hander Shintaro Fujinami had been posted by the Hanshin Tigers.
On Wednesday, the Athletics finalized an agreement with the right-hander.
The deal is for one year and is pending a physical.
The financial terms have yet to be disclosed.
In recent years, Fujinami has been used primarily out of the bullpen.
In 2022, the right-hander went 7-6 with a 2.77 ERA as a reliever.
However, he is expected to join the A’s starting rotation.
Jeff Passan of ESPN was the first to report the news of Oakland’s new signing.
Right-hander Shintaro Fujinami and the Oakland A's are in agreement on a one-year deal, pending physical, a source tells ESPN. Fujinami, 28, is expected to join the A's rotation. He arrives from the Hanshin Tigers, where he spent 10 seasons.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 11, 2023
For his career, Fujinami has a 3.17 ERA.
This is yet another move to strengthen the pitching staff of the A’s.
In mid-December, the A’s had signed veteran right-hander Trevor May to bolster the bullpen.
Shortly thereafter, Oakland signed right-hander Drew Rucinski.
Fujinami’s best season in Japan came in 2015.
Early in his career, the right-hander was primarily used as a starter.
In ’15, he posted an ERA of 2.40 and won 14 games with Hanshin.
Fujinami will join Paul Blackburn, James Kaprielian, and J.P. Sears in Oakland’s rotation.
The A’s finished the 2022 season with the second-worst record in all of baseball at 60-102.
Prior to the season, they had traded away Sean Manaea, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt, and Matt Olson and also ended up trading Frankie Montas to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline.
The 2023 season figures to be much of the same for Oakland, but with a few new additions, their pitching staff at least has somewhat of a different look.
