Padres Look To Asia To Fill Bullpen Roles
Only the Mets and Yankees outspent the Padres in 2023. But after missing the postseason, San Diego is scaling back player expenditures.
Padres GM A.J. Preller traded Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees. Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Nick Martinez departed as free agents; Blake Snell and Josh Hader are expected to do the same.
The Padres looked abroad to reinforce their bullpen, signing Japanese lefthander Yuki Matsui for five years and $28 million and Korean righthander Woo-Suk Go for two years and $4.5 million.
The 28-year-old Matsui recorded a 2.43 ERA and 236 saves in 10 seasons with Rakuten. The 25-year-old Go’s 139 saves over the last five seasons with the LG Twins were the most in the KBO.
Returning reliever Robert Suarez’s $46 million contract likely makes him the favorite to open the season as the Padres’ closer, but Mastui’s and Go’s experience shutting games down—not unlike Suarez’s prior experience in Japan—means all three could be asked to protect ninth-inning leads.
“I don’t know that we’re going to establish this absolute, rubber-stamp, this-is-the-closer kind of deal,” new Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “I think the ability to (match up), based on where we are in lineups and matchups, gives us some flexibility.”
Both Matsui and Go seemingly have the stuff to get the job done in MLB.
Matsui pairs a mid-90s fastball with a splitter that serves as an out pitch. He also throws a mid-80s slider and a mid-70s curve. He’s coming off a career-high 39 saves while striking out 72 batters in 57.1 innings with a 1.57 ERA last season.
Go sits 94-96 mph and can touch 98 with carry and finish. He also has a power 82 mph curve and a hard 90-92 mph cutter that generates a lot of ground balls. His control is shaky after walking 22 batters in 44 innings.
Both relievers represent upside plays for an organization that needs to hit on a lottery ticket or two while adjusting to payroll constraints in the wake of owner Peter Seidler’s death in November.
FATHER FIGURES
— Righthander Jairo Iriarte was the Padres’ lone addition to the 40-man roster in November, ahead of the Rule 5 draft. The 22-year-old struck 128 while holding hitters to a .216 average in 90.1 innings to go with a 3.49 ERA as he advanced from high Low-A Fort Wayne to Double-A San Antonio.
— Offseason additions to the back of the Padres’ 40-man roster include selecting righthanded reliever Stephen Kolek from the Mariners in the Rule 5 draft. San Diego also claimed middle infielder Tucupita Marcano (Pirates) and righthanders Jeremiah Estrada (Cubs), Logan Gillaspie (Red Sox) and Luis Patiño (White Sox) on waivers.
Patiño and Marcano were previously ranked as prospects in the Padres’ system.
