Cubs Looking To Japan’s Senga In Search For Free Agent Pitching

SportsMoney Cubs Looking To Japan’s Senga In Search For Free Agent Pitching Phil Rogers Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I’ve covered sports forever, based mostly in Chicago and Dallas. Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories.

Got it! Oct 20, 2022, 10:47am EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin TOKYO, JAPAN – NOVEMBER 10: Pitcher Kohdai Senga #41 of Japan throwsin the fifth inning during the . . .

[+] international friendly match between Japan and Mexico at the Tokyo Dome on November 10, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images) Getty Images The Cubs appear to once again be looking to Japan on the free-agent market. They landed right fielder Seiya Suzuki a year ago, signing the Hiroshima Carp slugger to a five-year, $85 million deal.

That’s the biggest they given out since landing Yu Darvish in 2018. Suzuki battled injuries in his rookie season in the major leagues but still experienced limited success. He delivered a .

769 OPS and a 2. 0 rWAR, which ranked behind only Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Willson Contreras among the Cubs’ position players. Now, according to reports in Japan, the Cubs have their eye set on Fukuoka Hawks right-hander Kodai Senga, who is triggering an opt-out in his contract entering his age-30 season.

Senga delivered a 1. 94 ERA over 144 innings last season, with 156 strikeouts and 49 walks. Senga (whose first name is sometimes listed as Koudai) is expected to be one of the top pitchers available on a free-agent market that should include Jacob deGrom, Carlos Rodon, Justin Verlander and Clayton Kershaw.

Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation quoted reports in the Japanese outlet Sanspo as saying the Cubs and Red Sox are interested in Senga. Sanspo also reported that Senga is signing with the Wasserman agency to represent him in negotiations. Joel Wolfe, an agent for Wasserman, represents both Suzuki and Darvish.

It was reported that Darvish’s recommendation of the Cubs was influential in Suzuki’s decision-making process. MORE FOR YOU Hiring Refugees: How One Big Factory Did It Cleveland Guardians Head To The Offseason With Two Unmet Roster Needs Level Up Your Muscle-Building Workouts With The Best Adjustable Dumbbells Senga has spent his entire career with the Hawks, who don’t have a history of posting their players to sign in the United States. He accrued nine years service time over parts of 11 seasons, allowing him to reach free agency.

Senga is listed as 6-feet tall. He is a hard thrower who features a reliable splitter. Fangraphs reports his fastball is generally 94-97 mph with a top velocity of 99.

Their international scouting expert, Eric Longenhagen, has cited the “exploding fastball movement” that adds to his effectiveness. However, Senga is not considered to have command of plus breaking pitches. His slider and cutter need improvement but he is able to sustain velocity on his fastball late in starts, minimizing concern.

The Cubs’ rotation is headed by Marcus Stroman and Kyle Hendricks. But there is significant concern about the health of Hendricks, who is in the last guaranteed year of his deal. He pitched to a 4.

80 ERA over only 84 1/3 innings last season, when he was sidelined by a capsular tear in his right shoulder after Aug. 22. Left-hander Justin Steele and right-hander Adrian Sampson line up behind Stroman and Hendricks.

The Cubs hold an option on left-hander Drew Smyly but it’s not a given they will exercise it. Senga looks like a fit for Wrigley Field. Follow me on Twitter .

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