5 stories to watch for during the MLB Winter Meetings
By Sean Sears
Players from Korea and Japan drawing serious interest
Former Pirates starter Josh Lindblom is one of the hottest names on the market right now after a strong three seasons in Korea that saw him develop a devastating splitter to pair with his lively fastball.
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Lindblom has reportedly said he plans on attending the Winter Meetings and picking a new team before the end of the meetings. And after posting a 2.67 ERA in 363.1 IPs over the last two seasons in the KBO, the 32-year-old Lindblom is hoping to be this year’s Miles Mikolas.
Other names like Japanese outfielders Shogo Akiyama and Yoshitomo Tsutsugo highlight a strong group of recently posted players from the NPB and KBO. The 31-year-old Akiyama has elite on-base skills with a contact-first approach at the plate, plus his solid defense in center field makes him an ideal lead-off candidate. Teams like the Diamondbacks and Cubs have already shown initial interest.
. @MLB news: This will be one of the busiest offseasons ever in the number of Japanese stars moving to North America. LF Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, 2B Ryosuke Kikuchi, and RHP Shun Yamaguchi have been (or will be) posted. CF Shogo Akiyama is an international free agent. @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 18, 2019
Tsutsugo has been compared to Cubs left fielder Kyle Schwarber, showing he has plenty of power, hitting at least 22 home runs every year since 2015 in the NPB. At 28-years-old, Tsutsugo should draw plenty of interest from AL teams due to his so-so defense, but his .382 career OBP in the NPB should make him attractive to most teams.