The San Diego Padres have signed two-time Central League saves leader Robert Suarez to a one-year contract with a player option for the 2023 season, the club said Wednesday.
The 30-year-old right-handed pitcher spent 2021 with the Hanshin Tigers in NPB. He led the CL in saves for two straight seasons, with 25 in 2020 and 42 in 2021.
The Venezuelan played five seasons in Japan, the first three with the Fukuoka-based SoftBank Hawks in the Pacific League, and the last two with the Osaka-based Tigers.
Suarez will be a teammate with Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, who recently finished his first season in a Padres uniform.
