According to NPB Tracker, the Pittsburgh Pirates are showing interest in Japanese pitcher Ryota Igarashi of the Yakult Swallows. Igarashi was a former teammate of Aki Iwamura's in Japan and the acquisition of Iwamura has played a factor in Igarashi being a player of interest for Pittsburgh.
Pirates GM Neil Huntington said, “In acquiring Iwamura, we opened the door to getting Japanese players. We gave up a middle reliever to get Iwamura, so he [Igarashi] is a player we have interest in.”
Igarashi, a 30-year-old right-hander used primarily as a relief pitcher, went 3-2 with three saves and a 3.19 ERA in 56 games. His best season was 2004 when he had 37 saves and 86 strikeouts in 66 games.
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