The Mets wlll no longer pursue star Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano. Photo by Alex Trautwig/WBCI/MLB via Getty Images

Report: Mets out of Tomoyuki Sugano sweepstakes

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 1/4/21

Tomoyuki Sugano is one of the hottest names in Major League Baseball free agency. However, it appears one team is officially out of the running for the Japanese right-hander.

According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the New York Mets, believed to be initially interested in Sugano, have shifted their focus elsewhere. It's unclear who they may be targetting.

RHP Tomoyuki Sugano has many good MLB options, including the #SFGiants, Jays and others. But while the Mets have been in touch, it appears their main focus is elsewhere. Sugano (101-50, 2.34 ERA) also has 4-yr offer w/opt-outs every year to return to Yomiuri. Decision soon.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 4, 2021

While a number of teams remain interested in Sugano, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Sunday that the star pitcher could opt to return to the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization, who have offered him a four-year deal with opt-outs.

According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees have been linked to the 31-year-old.

Sugano has been one of Japan's best pitchers since 2013, when he joined the Giants at 23 years old. He won the Sawamura Award, which is equivalent to MLB's Cy Young Award, in 2017 and 2018. Last season, he went 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 131 strikeouts over 137.1 innings.

In his analysis of Sugano, Morosi compares Sugano to Kenta Maeda and Masahiro Tanaka, while also suggesting that he could be the second-best arm on the market behind Trevor Bauer.

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