Free agent Japanese pitcher Hisanori Takahashi, who had drawn interest from a number of teams, has agreed to terms with the New York Mets on a minor league contract:
Mets Ink Import Pitcher Hisanori Takahashi
Takahashi, 34, has agreed to a contract that will be worth $1 million with roughly $500,000 in performance bonuses if he makes the team, according to the New York Times. The Times, which first reported the story, also noted that Takahashi will compete for a spot in the rotation.
The lefty will compete with Fernando Nieve and Jon Niese, among others, for the fifth rotation slot. Failing that, he could end up in the bullpen alongside fellow southpaw Pedro Feliciano.
Takahashi has a broad five-pitch repertoire, and while his fastball sits in the high-80s and seldom breaks 90, he’s known for a screwball that misses bats and generates a lot of groundballs. He also has a pretty good two-seamer, giving him another weapon to keep the ball on the ground. He’s not known as a lefty-killer, which raises some questions when it comes to putting him in relief, but we don’t have very good data for his career in Japan, and there’s value in a reliever without a big platoon split regardless.
Takahashi is the second Japanese pitcher the Mets have signed this offseason, as they landed Ryota Igarashi late last year. You can read more about the signing at Mets blog Amazin' Avenue.
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