Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano. Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Rockies sign former NPB star to fill out starting rotation

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Feb 10, 2026 1:14 PM ET

The Colorado Rockies have nowhere to go but up after having the worst record in baseball last season (43-119).

The Rockies have had a productive offseason under the new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, who has reworked the starting rotation and lineup.

Adding right-hander Michael Lorenzen on a one-year deal ($8 million) and signing utility man Willi Castro to a two-year deal ($12.8 million), the Rockies continued to add veterans to their roster, finalizing a one-year deal with right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, per MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.

In his first season with the Baltimore Orioles after coming over from the NPB, Sugano went 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA (30 starts) and struck out 106 batters in 157.0 innings. While in the NPB, Sugano had a career record of 136-74 with an ERA of 2.43 and struck out 1,585 batters in 1857.0 innings.

The #Rockies have reached a one-year agreement with veteran righty starter Tomoyuki Sugano (10-10, 4.64 ERA with #Orioles last season after 12 seasons in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants.
— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) February 10, 2026

Tomoyuki Sugano adds more depth to the Rockies' starting rotation, gives them potential trade piece

The Rockies are not going to set the National League on fire in 2026, but the moves they’ve made this offseason, including Sugano, will help them take a step forward in their rebuild. Sugano will join Lorenzen (4.64), long-time Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland (4.98), Ryan Feltner (4.75), and Chase Dolander (6.52) as options for the rotation.

Sugano will get many opportunities to start in Colorado and boost his value when he hits the open market next offseason. Pitching in the altitude of Colorado may be tough for a splitter-pitcher like Sugano, but he could find success and net the Rockies a decent prospect at the trade deadline.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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