There’s danger in inserting an excessive amount of emphasis on a participant’s current trajectory in comparison with their general physique of labor, after all. It’s maybe simpler to purchase into Fujinami’s stronger outcomes of late given the standard of his arsenal.
Working in shorter stints has pushed the common velocity on his four-seam fastball from an already robust 97 mph to the 99-100 mph vary. He’s additionally leaned extra closely on a 93-94 mph cut up whereas scaling again on his mid-80s cutter.
Baltimore will hope the simplified pitch combine and continued expertise in opposition to large league hitters permits Fujinami to take care of his type of the previous six weeks. He’ll add an influence arm to the center innings of an already wonderful reduction corps. Baltimore’s bullpen entered play Wednesday ranked eighth within the majors with a 3.79 ERA. They’re fourth with a 26.1% strikeout proportion.
It’s just a little extra top-heavy than the everyday bullpen, although. Félix Bautista and Yennier Cano have been unbelievable on the again finish, whereas veteran Danny Coulombe has excelled as the highest southpaw.
Bryan Baker and Mike Baumann have been typically efficient, however each have issued a number of too many walks. Fujinami is way from a management artist himself, however he gives skipper Brandon Hyde with one other choice to bridge the hole to Cano and Bautista.
The addition is solely about 2023. Fujinami will probably be a free agent once more at season’s finish. Though he’ll solely have one yr of main league service, gamers signing out of Asian skilled leagues are virtually at all times granted the power to return to the open market as soon as their MLB contract performs out. Baltimore will tackle the approximate $1.3M in wage nonetheless owed to the righty by the top of the season.
Oakland offloads a small amount of money and brings in an higher stage reduction choice. Lucas is a 6-foot-4 southpaw who was chosen by the Marlins within the 14th spherical of the 2019 draft. Miami traded him to Baltimore over the 2019-20 offseason for veteran infielder Jonathan Villar.
The 26-year-old is amidst a robust season within the higher minors. He’s cut up his time virtually evenly between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. Over 29 2/3 mixed frames, he owns a 2.73 ERA with a superb 31.9% strikeout proportion and tolerable 9.5% stroll fee. He’s holding left-handed hitters to a .200/.265/.378 batting line.
Lucas will probably be eligible for the Rule 5 draft if he’s not added to the 40-man roster on the finish of the season. Contemplating his higher minors success and Oakland’s MLB-worst 5.72 bullpen ERA, he’ll most likely get an enormous league look sooner or later within the coming weeks.
It’s the primary of what’s more likely to be a number of strikes for each golf equipment. The A’s have already stripped the roster a lot of the approach down, however gamers like Paul Blackburn, Tony Kemp and Seth Brown might nonetheless discover themselves on the transfer. Baltimore has pulled forward of the Rays (on a proportion level foundation) within the AL East and figures to search for rotation upgrades over the following two weeks.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported Fujinami was being dealt to the Orioles and that Lucas was the return. John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle and Martín Gallegos of MLB.com had beforehand noticed that Fujinami was saying goodbye to his Oakland teammates.
