SF Giants among teams tied to posted NPB fireballer Shintaro Fujinami

The SF Giants are among of trio of teams tied to posted Hanshin Tigers flamethrower Shintaro Fujinami in a recent report by Nikkan Sports.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, and SF Giants are in the mix for recently posted right-handed pitcher Shintaro Fujinami, according to a report by Nikkan Sports (a Japanese-language outlet). Fujinami was posted by the Hanshin Tigers on December 1st and has a 45-day window to sign a contract with an MLB team. If he comes to an agreement, Hanshin will receive financial compensation from the MLB franchise that signs Fujinami.

Fujinami was once considered one of the best pitching prospects in the world and a legitimate peer to Shohei Ohtani early in his career. While Fujinami has appeared in parts of 10 NPB seasons, though,  he has been unable to bounce back from control problems that emerged in 2017.

From 2013-2016, Fujinami recorded a 2.96 ERA in 668.2 innings with 695 strikeouts and 260 walks. However, Fujinami walked 45 hitters in 59 innings in 2017 and was relegated to one of Hanshin's minor-league affiliates. In the years since, Fujinami has oscillated between the Tigers bullpen and starting rotation.

While the 28-year-old has not replicated his early-career numbers, he did have his best season since 2016 in 2022. He posted a 3.38 ERA in 66.2 innings pitched (16 appearances) with 65 strikeouts and 21 walks.

Fujinami has an impressive four-pitch arsenal, which Ted Baarda for Sports Info Solutions broke down well. His fastball averaged 96 mph in 2022 and has reached triple digits in the past. His splitter is easily his most effective pitch, consistently inducing whiffs and groundballs. He also has utilized a slider and curveball to mixed results. The slider has induced a lot of swings-and-misses but also allowed a lot of hard contact. His curveball, though, is easily his least-developed offering.

Most expect Fujinami to be limited to a relief role at the MLB level. However, Baarda notes how Fujinami's arsenal compares favorably to former Giants starting pitcher Kevin Gausman. A big-league front office could bet on their coaching staff's ability to help Fujinami rekindle his success as a starter.

After missing out on Kodai Senga, could the Giants front office gamble on Fujinami's upside in the rotation? It would seem like a significant risk to enter 2023 relying on him as a starter. With that said, the SF Giants could easily fit Shintaro Fujinami's dynamic arsenal into the bullpen.