Padres Agree to Deal With Star Japanese Reliever Yuki Matsui

San Diego finally makes a splash this offseason.

The San Diego Padres have agreed to a free-agent contract with reliever Yuki Matsui out of the NPB. He played with the Rakuten Golden Eagles and now will be making his way to the United States. The deal is reportedly for four years and $21 million, per Yakyu Cosmpolitan.

LHP Yuki Matsui has agreed in principle on a 4 year, $21 million deal with the San Diego Padres.

https://t.co/sOaWYQj0f0

— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) December 20, 2023

With the team likely to lose closer Josh Hader this offseason, bringing in Matsui makes complete sense. The Padres showed interest in him earlier in the offseason.

The Padres reportedly scouted Matsui in the past, and have wanted to add to their bullpen this winter. The left-hander will now potentially take over as the team's closer in 2024.

Last season with the Golden Eagles, Matsui posted an ERA of 1.57 over 59 games. He also recorded 39 saves.

During his NPB career, he compiled a 2.40 ERA and 236 saves during that time. Matsui is a five-time NPB All-Star and is the league's youngest player to reach the 200-save mark. 

Matsui has shown a strong ability to strike players out, at a rate of 31.9%. His skill set should translate over to the big leagues, and he could be what the Padres need at the back end of their bullpen.

With the Padres bullpen a little in question, Matsui should provide some stability. This signing may allow Robert Suarez to remain a setup man, which is a more natural spot for him.

Once the signing is official, it will be the Padres' first of the offseason, a small step toward catching up to the rest of the NL West.