Padres sign Japanese reliever Matsui to 5-year deal reportedly worth $28M

The San Diego Padres bolstered their bullpen Saturday by signing star Japanese reliever Yuki Matsui to a five-year contract.

The deal is worth $28 million and includes opt-out clauses after the third and fourth seasons, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

San Diego also included an injury clause in the contract, Passan added. If Matsui sustains a major elbow injury during his time with the Padres, the team can convert the contract's final guaranteed year into a $7-million club option.

His contract is the largest given to a reliever this offseason.

Matsui comes to the majors after a decade-long run as one of Nippon Professional Baseball's most dominant relievers with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. The 28-year-old southpaw was a five-time NPB All-Star, led the Pacific League in saves three times, and had a pair of 100-strikeout campaigns.

Over his 10 seasons with the Golden Eagles, Matsui posted a 2.43 ERA and 1.11 WHIP along with 12.0 K/9 and 236 saves. He's allowed only 24 earned runs across 155 total appearances during the last three years.

Matsui, who tallied a career-best 39 saves in 2023 while giving up only three homers, uses a three-pitch arsenal that includes a fastball, splitter, and slider.

Matsui chose to move to the majors earlier this winter by exercising his right to become an international free agent. That means the Padres were able to sign him without having to pay a posting fee to the Golden Eagles.

He'll now provide a late-inning boost to a Padres bullpen that's lost some big arms this winter. Matsui could replace All-Star closer Josh Hader in the ninth inning, although he may profile as more of a set-up or middle-inning reliever in the majors. He also adds a third left-handed arm to their relief corps, joining Tom Cosgrove and Adrian Morejon.

San Diego's been searching for bullpen help all winter due to Hader's likely departure in free agency. The team already lost one reliable reliever in Nick Martinez, who signed with the Cincinnati Reds in November.

This is the first major contract the Padres have handed out during what's been a turbulent offseason for the franchise. After spending lavishly on stars for the last few years, the team has spent this winter shedding payroll. San Diego traded superstar outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees, while Hader and reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell appear set to sign elsewhere.

The St. Louis Cardinals were among the other teams interested in Matsui this winter and reportedly hosted him in Missouri earlier this month.