According to reports, on Friday, Japanese relief pitcher Shintaro Fujinami signed a one-year contract with the New York Mets, marking his third team in two seasons.According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the New York Mets have signed relief pitcher Shintaro Fujinami to a one-year contract on Friday.
According to reports, Fujinami’s base pay in 2024 will be $3.35 million. Additionally, he will be eligible for $850K in incentives, increasing the contract’s maximum value to $4.2 million.
The 29-year-old, 6-foot-6 right-hander arrived from Japan in 2023 and signed a $3.25 million contract with the Oakland Athletics during the previous offseason. In July, the A’s dealt Fujinami to the Baltimore Orioles.In his debut season in Major League Baseball, Fujinami, a three-time All-Star in Nippon Professional Baseball, had moments of difficulty. Starting the season 0–4, he had a 14.40 ERA, more walks than strikeouts, and a losing record.
Fujinami’s situation did not get better right away after Oakland moved him to the bullpen; in his first 10 relief appearances, he had a 10.66 ERA and a 1.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
However, Fujinami had a 3.32 ERA and a 3.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his last 20 appearances with the Athletics. After making two unimpressive starts during his first two months in Baltimore, Fujinami went on to pitch 23 games with a 2.92 ERA and 3.2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.After a few poor outings toward the end of the regular season, Fujinami was left off of the Orioles postseason roster.
Last season, Fujinami was 7-8 with a 7.18 ERA, 1.494 WHIP, and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 79.0 innings and 64 appearances. Because of his inconsistent first MLB season, those final numbers don’t accurately reflect his output, especially considering his extended periods of comparatively good success on the mound.In 2023, Fujinami’s average fastball velocity was 98.4 miles per hour, placing him in the 97th percentile with a four-seamer that can reach triple digits. His whiff rate of 30.1%, which was in the 78th percentile, contributed to his high strikeout total.
After joining Jorge López, Michael Tonkin, and Jake Diekman, who concluded 2023 with the Orioles, Atlanta Braves, and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively, Fujinami is the fourth free agent reliever the Mets have added this offseason. Adrian Houser was traded to New York, and the team also signed free agents Luis Severino and Sean Manea.
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