SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres have signed right-handed pitcher Robert Suarez to a one-year contract with a player option for the 2023 season, President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller announced today.
Suarez, 30, spent the 2021 season pitching for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball Organization and went 1-1 with a 1.16 ERA (8 ER, 62.1 IP), 0.77 WHIP (40 H, 8 BB) and 58 strikeouts (25.3% SO rate) over 62 relief appearances. He led all NPB pitchers with 42 saves and posted a 3.5% walk rate (2 IBB).
Over six seasons in the NPB, Suarez compiled a 7-13 record with a 2.81 ERA (64 ER, 20.50 IP), 1.16 WHIP and 209 strikeouts to just 70 walks (3.34 SO/BB ratio) in 191 career games between the Tigers (2020-21) and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2016-19). The Bolivar, Venezuela native also spent the 2015 campaign pitching for the Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican League, going 5-0 with 23 saves and a 1.71 ERA (9 ER, 47.1 IP) in 43 relief appearances.
