The Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Skilled Baseball introduced final night time that they’ve made right-hander Koyo Aoyagi accessible to main league groups by way of the posting system. Jon Morosi of the MLB Community tweets that MLB has authorized the posting, which opens a 45-day window for the pitcher to signal with a giant league staff.
Aoyagi, who turns 31 subsequent week, appears to undertaking as a depth arm. Whereas he has labored as a beginning pitcher for the Tigers, Aoyagi throws from a sidearm slot that’s extra generally discovered within the bullpen. He’s coming off a pedestrian season which he cut up nearly evenly between the Tigers and their minor league affiliate. Aoyagi made 12 begins at Japan’s high degree and pitched 11 instances within the minors.
Throughout his work on the highest degree, he turned in a 3.69 ERA throughout 61 innings. His 13% strikeout fee can be practically 10 share factors beneath the MLB common. He confirmed first rate however not distinctive management, strolling 7.8% of batters confronted. His profession observe file is a little more spectacular. He owns a 3.08 ERA with a 17.1% strikeout share throughout 9 NPB campaigns. This was his second consecutive middling season, although. Aoyagi was tagged for a 4.57 ERA throughout 100 1/3 innings for the Tigers in 2023.
The 5’11” hurler pitched for Japan on the 2020 Olympics (held in Tokyo a yr late because of the pandemic). Japan went 5-0 and received the gold medal, although Aoyagi was tagged for 5 runs in 1 2/3 innings throughout two appearances. He didn’t make the nation’s World Baseball Basic roster two years later.
Assuming the posting window formally opened in the present day, Aoyagi may have till January 17 to signal with an MLB staff. If he doesn’t discover a suggestion to his liking, he’d stay with the Tigers. Aoyagi’s numbers counsel he might be restricted to a minor league deal. If he indicators with an MLB staff, that membership would additionally owe a launch price to the Hanshin Tigers. The price is proportional to the scale of the contract. Within the very doubtless occasion that he indicators for $25MM or much less, the posting price can be 20% of the assure.
