The Hiroshima Carp will post outfielder Seiya Suzuki for Major League clubs this offseason, per JP Morosi. After 1054 Nippon Professional Baseball games, Suzuki can become the latest Japanese posting to step over and make an immediate impact for an MLB club.
At a quick glance, he's not what the Blue Jays need this offseason—a right-handed outfielder—but Toronto was connected to the 27-year-old, nonetheless. Is it just front office due diligence or is there really a fit for Suzuki on the Blue Jays?
Who Is Seiya Suzuki?
Suzuki has played his entire professional career for the Japanese League's Hiroshima Carp, notching nine seasons after debuting at age 18. He consistently hit .300 in the NPB, owning a career slash line of .309/.402/.542, playing mainly right field. Industry experts expect Suzuki to be the most dynamic NPB bat to make the jump to the MLB since Shohei Ohtani.
While some recent NPB bats have struggled to transition to the majors, Suzuki's Japanese production suggests he's a cut above sluggers like Yoshi Tsutsugo and Shogo Akiyama. He works counts, has pretty even platoon splits, and owns an efficient, direct swing that allowed him to produce power without high strikeout totals.
Suzuki will make the jump to MLB with plenty of accolades to his name as a three-time Golden Glove Award winner, four-time Best Nine Award winner, and five-time NPB All-Star. He also won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, playing in all five games for the Japanese team.
Baseball Prospectus contributor Kazuto Yamazaki projected Suzuki as an "above-avg MLB RF (who can stand in CF for a stretch) on both sides of the game."
Akiyama, the last significant NPB outfielder to come over, earned a three-year, $21 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds. As a younger and more regarded hitter, Suzuki will likely cost more and could seek longer term. Any signing team would also owe a posting fee to the Carp.
Is He A Fit For The Toronto Blue Jays?
Checking in with Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins at the end of the year, one goal for the Blue Jays' offseason became clear: getting better at the MLB level.
Lineup diversification, filling holes in the rotation, and deepening the bullpen are easy ways to reach that goal, but the Blue Jays' management seemed open to any series of moves that would improve the team. Adding a high-upside 27-year-old outfielder with good batted-ball skills and a high walk rate would certainly improve the Blue Jays.
However, it's hard to find a spot for Suzuki on the major league roster barring a significant trade. Suzuki has 73 career games at third base but most of his career has come in the outfield. With George Springer, Teoscar Hernández, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Randal Grichuk on Toronto's current roster, one of the latter two would likely have to be moved out for the Jays to justify a Suzuki signing. Even still, Toronto could be better served by bringing in a left-handed OF like Corey Dickerson, Robbie Grossman (a switch hitter), or Kyle Schwarber if Gurriel or Grichuk are dealt.
The Suzuki fit isn't natural, but the question ultimately boils down to if the organization's valuation on the NPB product supersedes questions of positional and approach fits. Or, maybe a move is made to make the fit more clear.
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November 08, 2021 at 01:54AM
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Is Japanese Outfielder Seiya Suzuki A Fit for the Blue Jays? - Sports Illustrated
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