SEATTLE, Wash. — Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto announced today that the Mariners have signed left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to a four-year contract. Kikuchi was posted by the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) League following the 2018 season. He was eligible to negotiate and sign with any MLB team.
“Yusei’s combination of character, talent, experience and relative age made him a primary target in our roster building plans,” Dipoto said. “He is an exciting young pitcher with the ability to impact the Mariners, both in the present and future.