Former Intriguing Roster Piece For Seattle Mariners Drawing Interest in Japan

Fujinami signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in the offseason, but never appeared in a major league game for the organization.

Armed with electric stuff, he struck out 24 batters in 18.2 innings at Triple-A Tacoma, however, the control is a real concern, as he walked 26 and hit three in just those 18.2 innings.

The hope was that he could be a power option in the mid-to-back-end of the M's bullpen, but it just didn't happen, and the Mariners have developed guys like Carlos Vargas and Casey Legumina this season for those roles.

Fujinami came to the United States in the 2023 season, signing with the Oakland Athletics. Though he broke camp as a starter, he quickly transitioned to the bullpen, finding more success there.

He was 5-8 with the A's, posting a 8.57 ERA. However, he had a 4.85 ERA in 30 games with the Baltimore Orioles after a mid-season trade that year. He helped the Orioles get to the playoffs and continually flashed velocity in the upper-90s.

Because of a shoulder injury, he did not pitch at all in the majors in 2024. He was with the Mets organization as he rehabbed, going 1-2 with a 5.94 ERA across four levels. He had a 6.68 ERA with Triple-A Syracuse,.