This is an unexpected result when I signed with the Tampa Bay Rays in the winter of 2019. Tsutsugo Yoshimoto (32) is unable to find a team in the major leagues. There is no team to look for due to repeated sluggishness. Even if you stay in the United States, it is virtually impossible to sign a major league contract. A former Japanese pro baseball ‘home run king’ is in a position where he has to pack his things shabbyly and go home.
In 2009, he joined the Yokohama Baystars as the first rookie. He grew up as expected and stood tall as the number 4 hitter. In 2016, his 7th year as a pro, Tsutsugo raised his batting average to 3.2 2 Lee -44 home runs -110 RBI 스포츠토토 and OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.110. He was the Central League home run-RBI leader, and led the OPS.
Baseball officials who watched him at the beginning of his joining said that he would grow like Hideki Matsui. Tsutsugo hit more than 20 home runs in six consecutive years from 2014 to 2019 and sought a bigger stage.
After the 2019 season, he succeeded in advancing to the major leagues through the posting system. He signed a two-year, $12 million contract with Tampa Bay. He became a teammate with Choi Ji-man. Posting fee of 2.4 million dollars was given to the Yokohama club.
The first year, the season started in July due to COVID-19. In the opening game against the Toronto Blue Jays, he played third-third base and hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning. He reported his first major league hit as a home run against his opponent, ace Ryu Hyun-jin.
In 2020, which was shortened to 60 games per team, he played 51 games, batting 1.9 with 7 runs, 8 home runs and 24 RBI. It’s just a demonstration of power.
But it didn’t go smoothly. From the beginning of the 2021 season, he fell into a slump. He was removed from the 40-man roster in May and traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He failed to take advantage of the initial opportunity for transfer and was released after two months. He moved to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He went 2.6 with 8 runs, 8 home runs, 25 runs batted in and earned 4 million for the year.