Dodgers: Could the Dodgers pursue Shun Yamaguchi?

The Dodgers have another free agent pitcher to consider as the Yomiuri Giants have posted starting pitcher Shun Yamaguchi.

Although the free-agent frenzy has yet to begin, the Dodgers have another pitcher to consider as the Yomiuri Giants have posted Shun Yamaguchi.  Yamaguchi has been a starting pitcher since 2014 but he was a reliever before and has been pitching in Nippon Professional Baseball since 2006.  Shun will turn 33 years old next July so he would be a veteran addition.

Yamaguchi is coming off a strong season in which he pitched to a 2.91 ERA and struck out 188 batters in 170 innings.  While Shun Yamaguchi has experience as a starter and a reliever, he may have a better shot at success as a reliever in Major League Baseball.  He profiles as a back end starting pitcher in the big leagues as a starter, and a late-inning reliever if he is used in relief.

More from LA Dodgers News

• Kevin Kiermaier being ‘top target’ to replace Cody Bellinger is bad sign for Dodgers
• Giants laughably sign pitcher that Dodgers absolutely own
• Dave Roberts’ quote about Padres in NLDS should motivate Dodgers
• Former Astro seemingly takes uncalled for shot at Cody Bellinger after Cubs deal
• Dodgers’ 2023 lineup without Trea Turner isn’t as impressive as it should be

Part of the reason why Yamaguchi profiles better in relief is that his velocity is below average as a starting pitcher.  As a starter, he averages velocity in the low 90’s while in relief his fastball reaches the mid to upper 90s.  Yamaguchi also throws a curveball, slider, and a forkball/splitter.  Both the slider and forkball are in the mid-80s while his curveball comes in below 80 MPH.

A quick rundown of how the posting system works is that MLB teams have 30 days to negotiate a contract with the posted player and if a deal is not reached the player must return to the NPB until the next off-season.  If a deal is reached then the MLB team would pay the Yomiuri Giants (in this case) 20% of the total guaranteed value of the contract since Yamaguchi’s contract will likely be below $25 million.

Since Shun Yamaguchi is over 25 years old, signing him would not count against a team’s international signing bonus money.  This makes Shun a low-risk high-reward type signing if the Dodgers choose to pursue him. Yamaguchi makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers if he is willing to pitch in relief.

The biggest name the Dodgers have signed out of Nippon Professional Baseball is Hideo Nomo and Kenta Maeda also played in the NPB.  Hiroki Kuroda was another player the Dodgers signed from the NPB that had success in the big leagues.  If the Dodgers could get Yamaguchi and use him in relief, it could be a relatively low-cost signing to potentially bolster their bullpen.