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Detroit Tigers: First Base Options For The 2020 Season

By Tyler Kotila

TOKYO, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 10: Outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh #25 of Japan at bat in the first 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 first 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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Besides solving the issue from within (not ideal), signing Justin Smoak (pretty ideal), or signing Yonder Alonso (much less ideal), there is one other option that the Tigers could take a gamble on.

It has been rumored that the Tigers organization has been in contact with Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, who was posted in November. A few reports have the Tigers as the favorites to sign him; however, looking at the track record, the Tigers have been pretty reluctant to sign any of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) stars who are posted.

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The question is, who is this Tsutsugo guy, and is he worth the gamble of signing?

Tsutsugo is a twenty-eight-year-old first baseman who is listed as outfield capable as well. The immediate issue with this is that his fielding has been reported to be terrible, defense not being one of his strong suits, but the bat makes up for it. In 2019 for the Yokohama BayStars, Tsutsugo played in 131 games registering a .272/.511/.388 slash, with twenty-nine home runs, and seventy-nine RBI on the season.

A power-hitting left-handed bat who is a defensive liability is the simplest way to describe Tsutsugo. A big-league comparison that has been commonly associated with Tsutsugo is Kyle Schwarber from the Chicago Cubs.

However, if the Tigers want to take a gamble and hope that the power transfers over from the NPB to the MLB, then it may be worth the look. The deadline to sign Tsutsugo is soon, so the Tigers need to decide if signing him and taking the risk is worth it or not.

All in all, the Tigers need to figure out which use of money is going to be the most effective for the organization. While the Nationals are shelling out $35 million a year for Stephen Strasburg, the Tigers can focus on the best use of the $8ish million signings the Tigers will most likely make. It seems like taking the gamble on Tsutsugo may have its benefits, but in reality, the Tigers should sign Smoak.

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Bringing in Smoak on a one-year contract, hoping he has a productive first half, and then shipping him off at the deadline for a mid to low range prospect who just adds to the farm system is the best answer for the Tigers first baseman hole.

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