NEW YORK -- Right-hander Shun Yamaguchi, aiming to make the jump to the major leagues from the Yomiuri Giants through the posting system, agreed to a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, the team announced Tuesday on its website.
Yamaguchi, 32, reportedly signed a two-year deal for 6 million dollars.
Under the system, teams were eligible to negotiate with Yamaguchi until Jan. 2. On Dec. 13, Yamaguchi, talking with reporters during the Giants' team trip to Hawaii to celebrate winning the Central League pennant, said he was "thankful" that several major league teams had expressed interest in him.
By joining the Blue Jays, Yamaguchi will go head-to-head in the American League East Division with the New York Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka and former Yokohama BayStars slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, who recently signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.
This past season, the Blue Jays finished fourth in the division with a 67-95 record.
Yamaguchi will be the fifth Japanese to play for the Blue Jays after pitchers Tomokazu Oka and Ryota Igarashi and infieldes Munenori Kawasaki and Norichika Aoki.
Yamaguchi was the No. 1 draft pick by the BayStars in 2005 out of high school. He played 11 seasons in Yokohama before joining the Giants prior to the 2017 season. A reliever early in his career, he later became a starter.
In 427 career games over 14 seasons, he compiled a 64-58 record with 112 saves and a 3.35 ERA. In helping the Giants to the CL pennant this season, he went 15-4 with a 2.91 ERA.
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