Giants sign former Dodgers outfielder that failed to catch on in LA
The Giants keep on bringing in former Dodgers as if it'll solve their problems.
The San Francisco Giants' spectacular collection of ordinary/below-average players gained another member on Monday when they picked up a former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder who couldn't catch on with the team back in 2021.
Yoshi Tsutsugo signed a minor-league deal with the Giants after being let go by the Texas Rangers and then tearing it up with the ... Staten Island FerryHawks in the Atlantic League?! What?!
For those Dodgers fans who don't remember Tsutsugo, the Dodgers picked him up in the middle of the 2021 season as they were searching for outfield help and another capable left-handed hitter. The Rays cut bait on the Japanese slugger and the Dodgers saw an opportunity to potentially fix his swing.
Unfortunately, Tsutsugo batted .120 with a .420 OPS in 12 games and then the Dodgers said goodbye as well. It was frustrating to then see him land with the Pirates and start mashing (.268 AVG, .883 OPS in 43 games).
He returned to his struggling ways to kick off 2022, though, and the Pirates released him. He latched on with the Blue Jays and hit well at Triple-A Buffalo before the Rangers signed him in January.
Giants sign former Dodgers outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo, who failed to catch on in LA
Tsutsugo seems to be handling Triple-A/Independent ball quite well but can't find consistency at the big-league level. The Giants' end game is unclear because they're expected to get back Mitch Haniger and Mike Yastrzemski fairly soon.
Injuries have hampered the Giants as of late, but the one thing they do possess is an excesss of left-handed hitters. It's unknown where Tsutsugo will fit into the equation outside of providing Triple-A depth as the Giants continue to reach into that well.
Add Tsutsugo to the Giants' copycat list as Farhan Zaidi continues to swipe former Dodgers players. Scott Alexander, Alex Wood, AJ Pollock, Joc Pederson and Darien Nunez come to mind immediately, and there are surely more.
We've got plenty more to tell you about Nunez, too, so stay tuned for that.