With the offseason off to a faster start than normal the Pittsburgh Pirates remain interested in re-signing Yoshi Tsutsugo
Ever since the regular season ended fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates have been hoping to see the team re-sign first baseman/outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo. This came as a result of Tsutsugo slugging his way to the hearts of Pirate fans during the final six weeks of the season.
Tsutsugo joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in mid-August and quickly became a key piece in the middle of the Pirate lineup. The left-handed hitting Tsutsugo hit for a .268/.347/.535 slash line with the Pirates. Tsutsugo posted a 134 wRC+, 10.4% walk rate, he slugged 8 home runs, collected extra base hits at a healthy 13.9% rate, and had an isolated slugging (ISO) of .268 in 144 plate appearances with the Pirates.
Pirate general manager Ben Cherington has expressed interest in re-signing Tsutsugo and that interest remains. According to Alex Stumpf of DK on Pittsburgh Sports, there has been plenty of contact between the Pirates and Tsutsugo.
The Pirates and Yoshi Tsutsugo have been talking "quite a bit," per source, but there is no deal in place yet. Ben Cherington has been very open about the team's interest in re-signing him, and Tsutsugo said multiple times towards the end of the season he wants to play stateside.
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) November 15, 2021
It would not come as a surprise to see the Pittsburgh Pirates re-sign the Japanese slugger. Tsutsugo would be a key middle of the lineup bat for the Pirates in 2022, and, with the designated hitter likely returning to the National League I the new CBA, he can serve as the team’s DH next season.
If there is going to be a reunion between the Pirates and Tsutsugo it would not be a shocker to see that move come sooner rather than later. With the current CBA set to expire on December 1st and a lockout looming, both in the free agent and trade markets baseball’s offseason is off to a much faster start than normal. Due to this, if Tsutsugo is going to return to the Pirates, it could happen sooner rather than later.