After swinging and missing on the once in a lifetime opportunity to sign Japanese Phenom Shohei Ohtani, the Padres have reached a deal with one of Japan’s elite relief pitchers.

As the baseball world has expected, Kazuhisa Makita has signed a deal with the San Diego Padres for 2-years and is worth approximately $4 Million and roughly $2 Million per year. Makita reportedly made his way to the US to take a physical on Saturday.

The one thing that sets the 5’10 32-year-old right-handed reliever is his arm angle. Makita fools hitters with his deceptive submarine arm angle, along with his deadly pitching arsenal.

Makita has pitched 7-years at the professional level in Japan and in 2017, his second year as a reliever, Makita put us some impressive stats with a 2.30 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, 35 strikeouts, and just five walks through 62.2 innings. Kazuhisa Makita is also fantastic at keeping the ball in the stadium, only allowing 46 home runs in 921.1 innings pitched. In the last two seasons, he has allowed a mere 7 home runs.

Makita will be a valuable asset in the Padres bullpen that consists of just two relievers with proven pitching depth, them being All-Star Brad Hand and former Marlin Carter Capps. Makita will help the Padres prevent home runs in an era in which the dinger is seemingly the only way to go for hitters, and will help the rebuilding franchise as it makes its slow upward ascension towards the top.

Time to purchase your Kazuhisa Makita jersey Padres fans.