11:19 am: The Rockies and veteran right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano agree on a one-year Major League contract, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported not long before Sugano signed that the Rockies were still working on adding some veteran rotation help. Sugano is represented by the VC Sports Group.
Sugano, 36, was a star in Japan prior to last season’s Major League debut — one of the most durable and successful starting pitchers of the current generation in Nippon Professional Baseball. He considered a move to the MLB earlier in his career, but opted to remain with the Yomiuri Giants on a four-year, $40 million contract in the 2020-21 offseason rather than make the jump to North America.
He ultimately opted to commit to an MLB opportunity last offseason, signing a one-year, $13 million deal with the Orioles. He was one of several one-year additions to Baltimore’s rotation, and Sugano performed better than neither Charlie Morton or Kyle Gibson did after signing a short-term deal with Baltimore.
It wasn’t a dominant debut effort by any means, but Sugano made 30 starts and piled up 157 innings with a 4.64 earned run average. His 5.3% walk rate was excellent, but the right-hander’s 15.1% strikeout rate was among the lowest in Major League Baseball. That lack of missed bats and pedestrian speed on his fastballs (average four-seamer of 90 mph, average sinker of 90 mph) led to too many barrels and way too many home runs. Sugano was tagged for 33 round-trippers – the most in the American League and third-most in all of MLB – or an average of 1.89 home runs per nine frames.
Certainly, that home run sensitivity is cause for some concern as Sugano signs up to play his home games at Coors Field. On the other hand, the Rockies entered the offseason in dire need of rotation help and will always have a hard time selling free agent starters at pitching. They managed to wave Michael Lorenzen earlier in the offseason and will now add Sugano, giving the rotation at least a few veteran options to eat up innings and take some pressure off some still-developing young guns.
Sugano joins a rotation with Lorenzen, Kyle Vrijland And Ryan Feltner. Top prospect Chase Dollanderthe No. 9 pick in the 2023 draft, was hit hard as a rookie in 2025 but likely has the inside track at the No. 5 spot. Nearly all of his struggles in 2025 took place at Coors Field; he posted a 3.46 ERA, 22.4% strikeout rate, and 11.3% walk rate on the road (compared to a 9.98 ERA at home). Other candidates for the fifth spot include: Tanner Gordon, McCade Brown And Carson Palmquistamong others.
The $5.1 million salary puts Colorado at approximately $114.5 million in actual cash payroll costs and $132 million in luxury tax liabilities. per RosterResource. Neither comes close to the club’s respective franchise records, though that’s to be expected as the Rockies begin what will likely be a years-long rebuild under new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and new general manager Josh Byrnes. If Sugano and/or Lorenzen can put together a decent first half of the season, both could be deadline options for rival clubs looking to increase their rotation depth, but if nothing else they’re affordable innings eaters to see through a long season.
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