Blue Jays reportedly showing interest in pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano

According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly expressing interest in Japanese hurler Tomoyuki Sugano.

After the 2019 season, GM Ross Atkins dipped into the Japanese pitching market when he signed Shun Yamaguchi from the Yomiuri Giants and if Jeff Passan is correct, Atkins could be going back to Yomiuri to bring in another veteran pitcher. This time, it would be 31-year old Tomoyuki Sugano and he shares some similarities to Yamaguchi.

When the Blue Jays brought in Yamaguchi he was a 32-year old right, 6’2”, 225 lbs handed pitcher who had pitched 14 seasons in Japan with the previous three seasons with Yomiuri. Sugano is a 31-year old, 6’1”, 183 lbs right-handed pitcher who has pitched his entire eight-year Japanese career for the Giants.

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That is where the similarities end though, as Yamaguchi spent the first part of his career as a closer and then bounced back and forth from bullpen to starting rotation near the end of his Japanese career. Sugano has spent his entire career as a starting pitcher and has thrown over 200 innings once in his career. Over his eight-year career, he has posted a 101-50 record, with a very low 1.97 ERA and 1.04 WHIP.

In 2020, Sugano led the Yomiuri Giants in every pitching category, including posting a 14-2 record, 1.97 ERA, and 0.88 WHIP that helped the Giants take down the regular-season title. Unfortunately for the Giants, they would be swept in the 2020 Japan Series Championship series.

Sports Info Solutions reports that Sugano throws a low 90s fastball, with a slider and splitter in the 80s. In the trophy cabinet, Sugano has won the Central League MVP in 2014, as well, he has won the equivalent to the Cy Young trophy in 2017 and 2018. The consideration for the Giants to put up a posting fee is that Sugano will be a free agent at the end of the 2021 season and the franchise is also in some financial trouble due to the attendance issues in 2020.

When the Blue Jays signed Yamaguchi before this past season it was for two years, worth $6.35 million over the term. Yomiuri was entitled to 20 percent of his first $25 million in earnings, so you would expect the price would be higher for Sugano. With a lack of front of rotation pitching on the current roster, Sugano could be a big asset.

Do you think the Blue Jays can bring in Sugano and could he be a front of the rotation pitcher?