The Mariners starting pitcher in their first game of the 2019 season in Japan?
It might be their newly signed left-hander, and the next touted Japanese player to break into the big leagues with Seattle.
The Mariners made the anticipated announcement official on Wednesday that they’ve signed touted lefty Yusei Kikuchi, saying he agreed to a four-year contract.
Kikuchi was considered among the best starting pitchers available this offseason and certainly the most trumpeted from Japan, where the 27-year-old went 69-45 with a 2.69 ERA over seven seasons with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League.