Cubs showing interest in standout Japanese closer |
When you look at the Cubs biggest flaws from last season, you can immediately point to the pitching, especially the bullpen, late in the season. Sure, the Cubs had four reliable relievers that they rode until they couldn't pitch anymore, but a rash of injuries and poor performances from others left this team scrambling down the stretch.
Perhaps an even more significant need for this team was not having a left-hander they could count on out of the pen. Sure, Mark Leiter Jr emerged as that option, given his reverse splits, but the Cubs didn't have many options apart from him. Brandon Hughes was supposed to be an option, but after dealing with a knee injury all season, he was unable to contribute much. You then saw Drew Smyly get bumped from the rotation to the pen to add a left-hander, but even that wasn't working. Adding relief help will certainly be a focus for the Cubs this offseason, but adding a left-handed reliever should be at the top of their list. Jed Hoyer and the company know that, and they have already begun to do their homework as the Cubs are one of nine teams interested in Japanese left-hander Yuki Matsui. The Cubs will do whatever it takes to fix their bullpen this season, and there are no more excuses for these reclamation projects. Having Matsui as an option is worth watching, as he fits the need for adding a left-hander and has a ton of closer experience. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has been around for quite a while, but as you have come to expect, with Japanese arms, they tend to have less mileage on their arms due to fewer starts and fewer games throughout the season. The same can be said about Matsui, who has pitched a ton throughout his NPB career, but not as much as you would think. The lefty has been dominant in the NPB the last three years, posting sub-2 ERAs to go with extreme strikeout rates and minimal walk rates. He has 236 career saves in the NPB, which is very good, no matter what level you are pitching at. While the numbers and statistics look great, his arsenal sets him apart as Matsui not only has seven pitches, but seven pitches that he can use at any point in the count. That starts with his heater, which tends to sit in the 94-95 MPH range, but can max out at 96 MPH. Along with that comes the classic Japanese splitter that sits around 88 MPh, a slider that can touch 89 MPH, and a change-up that he is starting to use more than often. Those may be his four primary pitches, but Matsui has more tricks up his sleeve, as there are two more pitches he is starting to use more than he has in the past. One of those is an ever-improving cutter that can touch 91 MPH and has become a nightmare for right-handed hitters. Matsui has also started to mix his looping curveball in a lot more against left-handed hitters and has gotten them to look completely foolish at the plate. Considering this a Japanese product electing to hit free agency, it will take some time for an actual scouting report to get to us. In the meantime, we can only go off of what we have seen from him on film, and the consensus has been that he is not only filthy but has the potential to be a lockdown reliever in the MLB. He checks all the boxes on paper and averages more than 12 strikeouts per nine innings. That is challenging to do at any level, which is worth noting. The one concern that the Cubs need to consider if they make this move is the overall history of Japanese relievers. While starters have done a great job transitioning from the NPB to the MLB, relievers haven't done as well, and there is no explanation as to why. While there is yet to be a clear mention of how much Matsui will want, it is expected to be somewhere in the 8-10 million range, making him an excellent option for a short-term two- or three-year pickup.
