Source: The "Japanese Ronald Acuna" Coming To MLB (And Possible Destinations)
Japanese superstar outfielder Seiya Suzuki will be available to major league teams via the posting process this offseason, according to MLB insider Jon Paul Morosi.
Suzuki is 27-year-old, in his prime, and with his combination of power and speed, Morosi says the oft-made comparisons to Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. are apt.
Source confirms: Superstar outfielder Seiya Suzuki will be available to @MLB teams through the posting process. The 27-year-old will immediately become one of the top outfielders available this winter. Here's my story. @MLBNetwork https://t.co/Fb1QWVdokO
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 5, 2021
Morosi goes on to say that Suzuki will immediately join the ranks of the top OFs available on the market this offseason. The others at the top of the list include Starling Marte, Kris Bryant and Nick Castellanos.
The report says Suzuki is a right-handed batter with "patience, power and basestealing acumen." He had his 6th straight outstanding season, batting .319 with an OPS of 1.079, along with 38 home runs.
SEIYA SUZUKI HIT ANOTHER ONE! MAKE THAT FIVE IN FIVE GAMES!
— Tom Mussa v2 (@tom_mussa_v2) October 17, 2021
Number 38 on the year! He’s now just one more away from tying the HR Race! https://t.co/RzCTNNauIy pic.twitter.com/1BQj8aAcc8
Once he's posted by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, expectedly after the Japan Series later this month, MLB teams will have a 30-day window to try to sign him.
Among the teams expected to have strong interest:
1. Seattle Mariners
This is a natural. And not only because the M's are a team on the rise, and are committed to spending big this winter to upgrade the roster. They have always been a favored spot of players in Japan, and of course, they have a certain history with Japanese players named Suzuki. Ichiro is a legend in Seattle, having spent 14 of his 19-years in the big leagues there, and was an All-Star for the first 10 straight seasons.
2. Texas Rangers
Another team with Japanese connections, the Rangers, as noted by Morosi, "have close scouting ties with NPB" (Nippon Professional Baseball), dating back to their pursuit, and landing of, Yu Darvish in 2012. The pitcher spent 5 seasons in Texas, four of them as an All-Star.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
No Blue Jay fan will ever forget this moment in team history:
Munenori Kawasaki is one of the all-time favorites of Blue Jay fans everywhere. The Jays were also one of the teams bidding heavily for Shoehi Ohtani when he was posted in 2017, so they've got experience in the process, and seeing as how things have turned out for Ohtani, Toronto will not want to fall short this time around.
Photo Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports
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