MLB Free Agency: Braves Sign Will Smith, Japanese Slugger Tsutsugo Free to Sign

Only two of the ten pending free agents who were tendered a qualifying offer actually signed them this 2019 offseason. One who opted out of the qualifying offer is Will Smith, former San Francisco Giants closer. The lefty inked a deal with the Atlanta Braves worth $39 million over three years with a club option for an additional year at $13 million.

Should the team opt out of the final season, they would owe Smith a one-million-dollar buyout. The contract is rich, however, it does not include any sort of no-trade protection for the player.

This season’s qualifying offer had to be for $17.8 million, more than Will Smith is set to make in Atlanta in each of the next three seasons. However, the Giants only offered the closer one year at that rate, making the Braves’ offer more appealing.

Will Smith is also a Georgia native and lives in Atlanta. Between the home town appeal and the longer terms, the contract with the Braves makes perfect sense for Smith.

While Smith did serve as closer for the Giants, he may not get the chance with his new team. The Braves are expected to give the ball to Mark Melancon in the ninth inning in 2020 after he earned the job in 2019.

Either way, this is a big upgrade for Atlanta. They posted average numbers from the bullpen last season and with Chris Martin, Anthony Swarzak and Jerry Blevins heading for free agency, reinforcements were necessary.

Due to the fact that Smith was tendered a qualifying offer, San Francisco is entitled to draft pick compensation. That will come in the form of the Braves’ third-highest pick in next summer’s draft. However, if Josh Donaldson signs elsewhere after rejecting his qualifying offer from Atlanta, it would be their compensatory pick from that deal.

Meanwhile, a Japanese star may be on his way to the major leagues after his team announced they posted the player for MLB clubs. Yoshitomo Tsutsugo played for the Yokohama BayStars in Japan and the hard-hitter was one of the league’s best players, MLB Trade Rumors reported.

Tsutsugo now has 30 days to sign with a big-league club should they wish to pay the compensation package owed to Yokohama. The Japanese star player turns 28 this November 26 and has hit 139 home runs over the course of the past four seasons.

That makes him one of the league’s biggest sluggers and he has hit .293 over the same time span. However, despite his raw talent, there are some questions about how Tsutsugo will transition to America.

Specifically, his defense is not very good and his running game is also sub-par. He plays in Japan as a first baseman and corner outfielder but his defense may make him a better option for a designated hitter, meaning an American League club would be the best fit.

The Toronto Blue Jays are tracking the player, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. The Chicago White Sox would also make a good fit for the player with room at DH and corner outfield plus salary to burn.

Other AL clubs with room for Tsutsugo include the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers. Meanwhile, the Miami Marlins also have room at first and in the outfield so could make a play as well.

Any teams that do wish to sign Tsutsugo will have to pay the Yokohama BayStars compensation. His new team would have to pay 20 percent of the first $25 million owed to the player plus 17.5 percent of the next $25 million and 15 percent of any salary over $50 million.

Whichever club signs the player will also have to pay 15 percent of any contract options and performance incentives once activated. The end of the 30-day signing period coincides with the end of the Winter Meetings next month, so fans will know by then if their team has signed Tsutsugo.