MLB Trade Grades: Orioles roll dice on Shohei Ohtani’s old rival

The Orioles have traded for pitcher Shintaro Fujinami from the Oakland A’s, rolling the dice on an old NPB rival of Shohei Ohtani. 

In Japan playing in the Nippon Professinal Baseball league, one of the biggest rivals once upon a time for the ineffable Shohei Ohtani was the flamethrowing right-hander Shintaro Fujinami. This past offseason, though, he made his way to MLB, signing a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Oakland Athletics.

Immediately, things did not go smoothly for the 29-year-old hurler with a triple-digit fastball. In four starts, he accrued four losses with an ERA over 14.00 over that span, which resulted in the A’s moving him to the bullpen. Now he’s moving teams.

As first reported by MLB insider Jon Heyman and FanSided’s Robert Murray, the Baltimore Orioles have acquired Fujinami in an under-the-radar trade just over two weeks before the MLB Trade Deadline.

Shintaro Fujinami trade details for Orioles and A’s

Here’s a look at the full trade between the Athletics and Orioles that will send the Japanese up-and-comer to Baltimore.

The return was also reported by Heyman.

Lucas is a 26-year-old southpaw who was a 14th round pick by the Marlins in the 2019 MLB Draft. In 21 Triple-A appearances this season, the lefty has posted a 2.93 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP.

MLB Trade Grades: Orioles take a worthwhile risk on Shintaro Fujinami

We’ve seen the Orioles work magic in the bullpen just recently. Last year at the deadline, they landed Yennier Cano, who was downright bad for both Baltimore and the Minnesota Twins with an 11.50 ERA over 13 appearances between both clubs. This season, he’s turned into a dynamite reliever with a 1.61 ERA and unhittable stuff.

With that, there’s a lot to like about what they could be getting in Fujinami, whether they choose to keep him in the bullpen or not. If he stays in a reliever role, there have been promising signs as he’s posted a 2.45 ERA and 3.09 FIP, per Red Sox Stats on Twitter, since June 5.

Fujinami clearly has stuff with the velocity on his fastball and the way he’s progressed since moving to the ‘pen. The Orioles, meanwhile, gave up a prospect who isn’t in their Top 30 and who, though he’s been solid in Triple-A, is 26 years old and not totally a part of what they’re building for now and the future. As such, they got potentially something for almost nothing.

That’s a worthwhile gamble for Baltimore to take. And given how things have gone for them with pitching, don’t be shocked if it end sup working out for the O’s.

Orioles Grade: A-

MLB Trade Grades: A’s give up too quickly on intriguing piece

Completing the all-vowels trade, the A’s moved Fujinami for a prospect who has been good in Triple-A this season but, again, is 26 years old.

Given how trades, even selling off their stars, have worked out for Oakland in recent years, it’s hard to remove that notion from assessing this trade as well. That’s not to say that Fujinami will go on to be an All-Star like Matt Olson and Sean Murphy with the Braves, but it is to say that they might’ve given up on the Japanese star too quickly.

As noted with the Orioles, Fujinami has shown vast improvements since moving into a relief role. Even with the A’s thoroughly out of playoff contention, it’s hard to fathom why the club would then move on an improving piece who could, in theory, be relatively cheap to retain for the 2024 season and beyond — especially only when getting back a prospect who isn’t in the Top 30 of Baltimore’s system.

Put simply, there’s a reason the A’s are the A’s — and it feels like this type of trade is just another part of the puzzling puzzle.

A’s Grade: C-