
Yoshi Tsutsugo
Earlier this offseason the Pittsburgh Pirates re-signed Yoshi Tsutsugo after he spent the last month and half of 2021 in Pittsburgh. Tsutsugo can play first base and right field, right now he may be penciled in to start at first base for the Pirates. That said, Tsutsugo certainly will not be mistaken for a plus defender at either of those positions any time soon.
When the Pirates re-signed Tsutsugo it was speculated a driving force behind it was the belief that the NL would have the DH in 2022. Now that the universal DH is official the player that makes most sense for the Pirates is Tsutsugo.
As was stated above the left-handed hitting Tsutsugo struggles defensively. He also brings plus power to the table and should be in the heart of the Pirate lineup. These are both traits you will typically find in a designated hitter.
If Tsutsugo is the team’s DH next season it will create a question mark about who will be at first base. However, it would not be a surprise to see the Pittsburgh Pirates look to add first base help when the works stoppage ends. Regardless of what shakes out at first base, Tsutsugo is a prime candidate to DH this upcoming season.