Shun Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi has been one of the better starters in Japan the past two seasons, going 15-4 with a 2.91 ERA and 10.0 K/9 in 2019. He served as a closer earlier in his career, but found that working in the rotation suited him better. He has low-90s fastball velocity, but has an outstanding mix of breaking pitches (splitter, slider, curveball). He may be seen as more of a long reliever given his lack of velocity and age (32 next season), but he will get a chance to win a spot in the rotation with Toronto after moving over from the Yomiuri Giants via the posting system -- he signed a two-year, $6.35 million deal. His versatility should be beneficial for the Blue Jays. He may be used as a swingman as they develop their rotation.