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Seattle Mariners: FanSided Offseason Simulation Day 4 Recap

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TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 10: Outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh #25 of Japan at bat in the fifth inning during the international friendly match between Japan and Mexico at the Tokyo Dome on November 10, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 10: Outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh #25 of Japan at bat in the fifth inning during the international friendly match between Japan and Mexico at the Tokyo Dome on November 10, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Masterpress/Getty Images)
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TOKYO, JAPAN – MARCH 10: Outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh #25 of Japan is awarded the Most Valuable Player award for the Frist Round Pool B after the World Baseball Classic Pool B Game Six between China and Japan at Tokyo Dome on March 10, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
TOKYO, JAPAN – MARCH 10: Outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh #25 of Japan is awarded the Most Valuable Player award for the Frist Round Pool B after the World Baseball Classic Pool B Game Six between China and Japan at Tokyo Dome on March 10, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)

SIGNED YOSHITOMO TSUTSUGO TO THREE-YEAR, $24 MILLION DEAL

We still had quite a bit of money to play with in our budget of $30 million, so we turned our attention to one of the final big names in our simulation’s free agency market: Japanese slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugo. The 28-year-old is set to come over to Major League Baseball after slashing .272/.388/.511 with 29 home runs and 79 RBIs in 131 games for the Yokohama Bay Stars last season.

Our plan is to have both Kyle Lewis and Jake Fraley start the 2020 season in Triple-A, so Tsutsugo will immediately join Lewis Brinson and Mitch Haniger in the Mariners’ outfield as the starting left fielder. But we know that Tsutsugo is more likely destined for a role at first base or designated hitter, so this will only be temporary. However, we like Tsutsugo’s fit as a first base/designated hitter type in the near future, especially if Daniel Vogelbach were to be dealt later on, and it’s even better that he’s not completely limited to those spots.

Given that there will be a posting fee tied to Tsutsugo in the real world, we don’t expect him to earn this kind of contract on the open market. But we offered big dollars to make up the difference and wound up being the only bidders in on him, so we’ll take it.

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