As you know, the Baltimore Orioles made further inroads into the international market in the Far East this week by signing Japanese left-handed pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada to a two-year deal.
Here’s more from the Baltimore Sun:
According to an industry source, the Orioles agreed to terms Tuesday with 30-year-old Japanese left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada on a two-year, $8.15 million deal that also includes a $5 million option for 2014.
Duquette and the Orioles have not confirmed the pact.
Wada, a soft-tossing, strike-throwing lefty, starred for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks before becoming an unrestricted free agent Dec. 1. He did not need to be posted — there was no bidding process for negotiating rights — and, reportedly, several other teams expressed interest in Wada, including the Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Here’s more:
Listed at 5 feet 10, 170 pounds, Wada consistently throws his fastball in the mid-to-high 80s, but he survives on a deceptive, three-quarters delivery and the ability to throw several pitches for strikes. He also misses bats, earning him the nickname “Dr. K of Tokyo” while in college. Throughout his career, he has maintained a strikeout-walk ratio of 3-to-1 or better. In 2011, he was 16-5 with a 1.53 ERA in 1842/3 innings with the Hawks. He struck out 168 batters and walked 40.
It’s good that the Orioles are *finally* using the international market to fill their roster after many years of seemingly bypassing it.
As for Wada, I don’t know much about him. He’s a small, soft-tosser and based on what we’ve seen from pitchers based out of Japan, it remains to be seen if he’ll be successful or not.
I’ll be curious to see how Wada does against a tough American League East and at Camden Yards – that’s if he is a starting pitcher.
What matters is this: can this pitcher get guys out, be deceptive on the mound and throw strikes? He’s not all that expensive, and could provide some upside and stability to a pitchng corps that had issues last year during a sad 69 win season.
Here’s more links on the deal here, here, here, here, and here…
