Angels’ AAA Reliever Satterwhite Signs

Original Article can be Found Here 元の記事はこちら

Hanshin announced on the 13th that they had signed Cody Satterwhite (29) of Salt Lake (Angels’ AAA club). It is a one year deal that is estimated to be worth 32 million yen. He is expected to arrive in Japan on the 15th.

Satterwhite is from America and is a right-handed pitcher who throws overhand. This season he has mainly seen relief duty, and is 3-1 in 18 mound appearances with a 1.80 ERA. He stands 193 centimeters (6’4″) tall and the angle he gets on his 150 km/h (93 mph) fastball is one of his fortes. He also has a slurve, slider and forkball in his arsenal.

The righty spoke to the team’s PR department, saying, “I’m super excited. The family and I are already packing our stuff in preparation for Japan. I hope to put up some good numbers, and become one of the important pieces in helping the team win.”

Chairman Takano says the deciding factors were “he’s meant for Japan. He throws at a good angle. He’s got decent control and can rack up strikeouts.” Though he has never played in the majors, the team sees a real competitive drive in him.

Depending on how quickly his visa and his physical condition come together, he could see action as soon as the interleague schedule wraps up.

From other articles (no links to them here):

– He was nicknamed “Bullpen Jesus” while playing in the minors of the NY Mets organization.

– Both Hanshin scouts stationed in America (Andy Sheets and Jeff Williams) had great things to say about Satterwhite.

– He represented the USA in the Premier 12 tournament last year, giving up a grand slam home run to Nobuhiro Matsuda (SB Hawks) and posting an ERA of over 7. Check the video below for that mound appearance. Keep in mind this is a team of elite Japanese players!

https://youtu.be/Z6ZwMfo3Wno?t=2m22s

Here are some of Satterwhite’s minor league numbers, taken from baseballreference dot com: