Baltimore Orioles Trade For Oakland Athletics Reliever Shintaro Fujinami

The three-time NPB All-Star was just settling into his bullpen role before he got shipped out in exchange for Triple-A pitcher Easton Lucas.

The Baltimore Orioles have traded Triple-A pitcher Easton Lucas to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for reliever Shintaro Fujinami, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported Wednesday. The teams later confirmed the swap.

After the Athletics' 6-5 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, Fujinami was seen hugging teammates and telling them goodbye in the clubhouse.

Fujinami was 5-8 with an 8.57 ERA across 34 appearances with the A's, although his numbers improved drastically once he was moved into the bullpen. The 29-year-old rookie out of Nippon Professional Baseball opened the season 0-4 with a 14.40 ERA and a 1.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four starts.

After a month of similarly shaky results as a reliever – a 1-1 record with a 10.66 ERA and a 1.4 strikeout-to-walk ratio – Fujinami became one of the Athletics' best late-game options. Fujinami is 4-3 with a 3.32 ERA and a 3.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio dating back to May 27.

Just since June 5, Fujinami is 3-1 with a 1.66 ERA across 16.2 innings of relief.

Fujinami was an three-time All-Star in NPB, going 57-54 with a 3.41 ERA in 10 seasons with the Hanshin Tigers.

The Athletics signed Fujinami to a one-year, $3.25 million contract in January. 

Fujinami is joining an Orioles bullpen that ranks No. 7 in the league with a 3.71 ERA, but No. 21 in WHIP at 1.330. In his last 14 relief appearances, Fujinami owns a 0.960 WHIP.

The Athletics, on the other hand, are getting Lucas – the Miami Marlins' 14th round pick from the 2019 MLB Draft. Lucas is 8-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 159.2 career innings in the minor leagues. This season, he is 1-0 with a 2.73 ERA across 20 relief appearances at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Baltimore just moved into a tie for first place in the AL East alongside the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday, improving to 58-37 with an 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Orioles and Rays open a four-game series in St. Petersburg on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET.

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