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The San Francisco Giants’ international scouting department has been doing a respectable job of acquiring talent in recent years, which bodes well for the future. Most of the best players in MLB aren’t American, so it’s great to see players who have been successful abroad.

This winter, they’ll have another chance to accomplish it. While Roki Sasaki is the obvious prize for whichever club manages to get their hands on him, there’s another Japanese pitcher who might be going unnoticed.

This is right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who has been a dominant force in Japan for the better part of three decades. He is 35 years old. At 35 years old, Sugano’s free agency status is intriguing because his potential contract type is hard to foresee.

Despite Jim Bowden of The Athletic highlighting some of his bump-related activities, he does not think that is a reason for any contract expectations for him. In twelve seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in the NPB, Tomoyuki Sugano has a record of 136–75, a 2.45 ERA, and 1,596 strikeouts.

He made 24 appearances this season, posting a 1.67 ERA and 0.945 WHIP. He has won Japan’s version of the Cy Young Award, the Sawamura Award, twice. With exceptional command and control, Sugano pounds the strike zone with a six-pitch combination.

From what Giants supporters can gather from Bowden’s comments, Sugano would be a great fit for the team’s middle relief role. The veteran’s posting for winter has already been confirmed, in contrast to Sasaki.

According to Leo Morgenstern of MLB Trade Rumors, Sugano is scheduled to visit the US in December with the purpose of meeting with teams. At Kawasaki’s Yomiuri Giants Stadium, Sugano met with team officials, including manager Shinnosuke Abe, today. Once Sugano’s December visit to the US was announced, Abe informed Yahoo! Japan (Japanese language link) about the visit.

During Sugano’s whole 12-year stint with the club, Abe has been a part of the Giants in various capacities, including player, coach, and now manager.

He may not have a huge market by December, but that may work out for San Francisco in the free agency period. The fact that many players will still be available in the winter doesn’t concern them, as they demonstrated last offseason. Spending a lot of money up front, though, might make it impossible for them to sign Sugano.

It shouldn’t make much of a difference if his price stays reasonable.The San Francisco Giants’ international scouting department has been doing a respectable job of bringing in talent over the last several years, which bodes well for the future.

Most of the best players in MLB aren’t American, so it’s great to see players who have been successful abroad. If they are able to snag Roki Sasaki this winter, it will be a huge coup for whichever club signs him. However, there is another Japanese pitcher who may be going unnoticed.

This is right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who has been a dominant force in Japan for the better part of three decades. He is 35 years old. At 35 years old, Sugano’s free agency status is intriguing because his potential contract type is hard to foresee. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden doesn’t think that’s a factor in contract forecasts, but he did spotlight some of his bump-related activities nevertheless.

In twelve seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in the NPB, Tomoyuki Sugano has a record of 136–75, a 2.45 ERA, and 1,596 strikeouts. He made 24 appearances this season, posting a 1.67 ERA and 0.945 WHIP.

He has won Japan’s version of the Cy Young Award, the Sawamura Award, twice. With exceptional command and control, Sugano pounds the strike zone with a six-pitch combination.

From what Giants supporters can gather from Bowden’s comments, Sugano would be a great fit for the team’s middle relief role. The veteran’s posting for winter has already been confirmed, in contrast to Sasaki. According to MLB Trade Rumors’ Leo Morgenstern, Sugano will meet with clubs on his December tour to the US.

At Kawasaki’s Yomiuri Giants Stadium, Sugano met with team officials, including manager Shinnosuke Abe, today. Once Sugano’s December visit to the US was announced, Abe informed Yahoo! Japan (Japanese language link) about the visit.

During Sugano’s whole 12-year stint with the club, Abe has been a part of the Giants in various capacities, including player, coach, and now manager. He may not have a huge market by December, but that may work out for San Francisco in the free agency period.

The fact that many players will still be available in the winter doesn’t concern them, as they demonstrated last offseason. Spending a lot of money up front, though, might make it impossible for them to sign Sugano. It shouldn’t make much of a difference if his price stays reasonable.