This offseason the White Sox have a lot of needs to fill especially in right field and designated hitter. What they also need is more balance in the lineup and some left handed power is another ideal bat to have on the team. Now that there will be a 26th man on the roster, the Sox have a lot that they can do with that spot, but how will they go about it? There's lots of ways, but what about adding another bat? That's where this article comes in.
One way to fill that 26th spot is by adding another slugger and there is one particular that is a very intriguing option on the free agent market, Japanese slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugo. Tsutsugo is a left handed bat in the Nippon League who has a ton of power. The 28-year old has put up a .284/.382/.528 slashline in Japan with 205 home runs and 615 RBIs in 10 seasons for Yokohama.
There is definitely some questions about him though that does raise some eyebrows. His defense is clearly questionable as he is limited to corner outfield positions and possibly first base, though he does have a strong arm which could come in handy. That being said, he could easily slide into the DH especially with the value with his bat. One other question was his recent season in the Nippon League where it was his worst in the last four years, but that's not to say he was bad (his slashline was .272/.388/.511). What is concerning in his last season was that his strikeout rate climbed to 25.3%. Whether it was an anomaly or an indication of decline is to be determined, but it definitely hurts his chances of getting a nice contract in Major League Baseball. The one other question here is whether he can adapt to MLB play as it is very different. That being said, in a White Sox Talk Podcast hosted by Chuck Garfien of NBC Sports Chicago, Garfien interviewed Jim Allen of Kyoto News who said Tsutsugo is "relatively adaptable" which could suggest him making the adjustments to MLB play might be fine.
Now the bigger question here is the contract, this is where things get interesting. According to the posting system, an MLB team would owe the Yokohama BayBears 20% of the $25 million that is guaranteed to Tsutsugo as well as 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of all the money spent more than the $50 million spent on him. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the release fee is a guarantee as well and "contract options and performance incentives, once unlocked or triggered, are subject to a supplemental 15% release fee. For minor league deals, MLB clubs pay out 25% of the player’s signing bonus, and the player’s salary upon being added to the 25-man roster is subject to a supplemental posting fee." For that last sentence, does that still apply for a 26th player or not?
Now depending on the type of contract that should be offered to Tsutsugo is a huge debate here. Of all the MLB teams, he fits in perfectly with the Sox, but is he worth the gamble? In the same podcast done by Garfien, Allen says all these things:
“He’s a quality bat in Japan, but he’s really not the elite bat. The whole question is how much of his power is going to play in the United States, and the big question is how is he going to adapt to seeing 100-mile-an-hour fastballs, which he hasn’t seen regularly because very, very few pitchers in Japan throw that hard. And he’s 27 years old [he's 28 now]. So it’s like taking a guy who’s basically played college-level ball most of his life and suddenly at 27 he’s in the major leagues.
“(Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei) Ohtani was a bit of an outlier. There are hitters who are that good in Japan. Tsutsugo is not quite one of them. He is relatively adaptable. In other words, I expect him to make some adjustments to MLB, I expect him to find some solutions to MLB. But I also don’t see him getting a guaranteed contract.
“He’s flexibile, adaptable, good leader, good teammate. But if you’re looking at the skills, I don’t think he’s going to blow anybody away with his skills.
“My guess is he’ll agree to a minor league contract, he’ll get a camp invite and that he’ll win a major league job out of camp because he’s just a really useful guy to have. But nobody’s going to be throwing guaranteed money at him. If they do, I would be surprised.”
So with all that said about him, how much should the White Sox pursue him? The Sox probably should take the gamble and go after Tsutsugo, but the type of contract is what begs to differ. If he agrees to a minor league contract, it's a low risk, high reward type of deal which could benefit both sides depending on if he is successful in the league. Tsutsugo, with the talent he has, is not likely wanting to settle on a minor league contract, so what would be a reasonable contract for both him and the Sox? You have to factor into what Yokohama wants so maybe a three-year $25 Million contract seems reasonable. With all the risks, it might be a worthy gamble as he is a high reward type of player.
The White Sox should negotiate what they think is best for their ballclub. High reward is always enticing, but the heavy gamble is always in the back of their minds. While a minor league contract would be ideal, a reasonable, but fair contract for every party involved is not a bad idea. Plus, with a 26th man now available, it could make a lot more sense just to sign him. That being said, if Tsutsugo is signed by another club, the White Sox shouldn't feel discouraged about losing out on him, there's plenty of other options on the market who could fit in well like Nick Castellanos or Edwin Encarnacion. That being said, he is not a bad player to sign here.
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