The Yomiuri Giants have decided to option Cuban Yoan López from the big club to the minors. The hard throwing who arrived this season in the Nippon Professional Baseball League has struggled with his control to start the season. The ex-big leaguer has walked four in two innings pitched the season. López has also posted a mediocre 4.50 ERA and blown his only save opportunity to start the campaign.
This movement was announced early Thursday before the team’s game. This is unpleasant news for the hurler from the Isle of Youth who decided to try his luck in a baseball that is very difficult to adapt to for foreigners. Another reason why Yoan was sent to the farm system team was also due to his lack of command. Many still expect a good season from the flamethrower, but this decision by his management forces the Cuban to focus more on his control in order to return to the Japanese League’s premier team’s big club.
💥 Yoan López es llevado al sistema de granjas de los Gigantes de Yomiuri.
— Yoan Luis Piedra (@piedra_yoan) April 6, 2023
❌ La franquicia nipona anunció que tomaron la decisión debido al descontrol y el mal manejo de los comandos.
🇨🇺 Yoan López
✅ IP: 2.0
✅ CL: 1
✅ 2H
✅ K: 0
✅ BB: 4
✅ PCL: 4.50 pic.twitter.com/GTRbkqUrXn
The 29-year-old Lopez signed with the Yomiuri Giants in the offseason to a guaranteed contract of $1.1M plus incentives. The Mets by their own right sold the contract of the pitcher for $600K. The last flamethrower from the island to see action with Yomiuri was Lopez’s good friend and teammate in Cuba Hector Mendoza in 2016, who did not fair much better than right-hander in the Japanese capital.
Last season with Mets, López only saw action in eight games and pitched 11 innings where he posted a gaudy 5.73 ERA. His option to the minors could be a turning point for him in his career or his downfall in the land of the rising sun. Although he has immense talent the Cuban needs results and fast, because Yomiuri is not a team that is necessarily known for their patience.
With the disappointing signings of Frederich Cepeda, Adolis García, Héctor Mendoza and now López the Giants have not faired very well in the Cuban market. The last islander to produce for Yomiuri was Leslie Anderson when he hit a robust .319 in 87 games with the team in 2014.