The Real Reason Fujinami Joined DeNA — and His MLB Comeback Ambition

Shintaro Fujinami (31), who recently parted ways with the Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in the U.S. Major Leagues, is set to join the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, as revealed on the 15th. Fujinami had requested to be posted after the 2022 season, leaving the Hanshin Tigers to pursue a career overseas.

“He moved through four organizations—Athletics, Orioles, Mets’ system, and Mariners’ Triple-A—but was never able to firmly establish himself on any team. The reason is clear: the control issues that plagued him during his Hanshin days never improved,”

explains a sports journalist covering MLB.

Fujinami, through his agent, explored options with MLB teams until the very last moment. Despite persistent rumors about his return to Japan and a possible deal with DeNA, the announcement was delayed for this reason.

Last year, Orix was also rumored to be interested in him, but why was DeNA especially eager this time?

“DeNA has adopted MLB-style practices, like hiring a full-time mental coach and emphasizing analyst-driven data usage. They have an environment suited to developing raw talent. They likely believed, ‘We can restore him to his original form.’

That said, Fujinami hasn’t given up on the majors. He reportedly asked for a clause in his contract allowing him to return to MLB if an opportunity arises.” —same journalist

Some Hanshin fans are disappointed that he didn’t return to his former team, but it turns out Hanshin never intended to bring him back. A club executive comments:

“Fujinami was certainly a contributor, but Hanshin had no plans to re-sign him. Internally, we concluded early on that ‘he’s not worth considering.’ Our pitching staff is already deep, and it would be risky to bring in a mid-career pitcher with control issues at a relatively high cost.

If Fujinami had come back to us, both the front office and fans wouldn’t be able to accept him saying, ‘I want to try the majors again if I get the chance.’ That would essentially mean committing to him for life. So it’s unfair to blame him for choosing DeNA.”

The question now is how DeNA will utilize Fujinami. A Central League team scout says:

“Fujinami throws wild pitches that top 160 km/h, making him extremely hard to hit because batters can’t zero in. The strategy is usually to wait for him to self-destruct with wild pitches or attack when he throws a hittable pitch after falling behind in the count.

For a young catcher, handling someone like that is very tough. DeNA’s main catchers, Shion Matsuo (21) and Yudai Yamamoto (26), tend to defer to pitchers during games.

Yasutaka Tobashira (35), who likes to call bold games, might be a good match. But Tobashira isn’t someone who plays every day.

If they use Fujinami as a reliever, they’d need to swap catchers depending on his appearances. It’s questionable whether a team fighting for a dramatic comeback or even just a top-three finish can afford to take such a high-stakes gamble on Fujinami’s revival.”

A struggling star faces what may be his final chance. Let’s hope he makes the most of it.