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Padres finalize deal for Japanese reliever Yuki Matsui
DONE DEAL: The Padres have officially completed their trade for the incredible Japanese reliever
SAN DIEGO — A.J. Preller is back to spending. At least more than he had so far this winter. The Padres on Friday confirmed a five-year deal for Japanese reliever Yuki Matsui, the first addition to payroll this offseason. ESPN reported the deal’s value at $28 million, with opt-outs after the third and fourth years and an injury clause that can convert the fifth year into a club option — a significant commitment but still a drop in the bucket compared to the
way the rest of the NL West is spending so far this winter. The Dodgers have pushed past $1.1 billion with the additions of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the extension given to the newly-acquired Tyler Glasnow. The Giants dished out $113 million to Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and the defending NL champion Diamondbacks have handed out $122 million to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Eduardo Rodriguez The Mastui signing
was the Padres’ first since they traded Juan Soto, Trent Grisham and Matt Carpenter, moves that will help the team cut a $250-plus-million payroll to a roster somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million for 2024. Before Matsui’s signing, the Union-Tribune projected the Padres’ opening-day payroll at about $146 million.
