Japanese left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui has signed a five-year contract with the San Diego Padres, the major league club said Saturday.
Terms of the contract were not revealed but it reportedly pays Matsui $28 million with opt outs after the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
The 28-year-old, who has recorded 236 saves with a 2.40 ERA in 10 seasons, all with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Pacific League, will join compatriot Yu Darvish with the Padres.
The Eagles' first-round draft pick ahead of the 2014 season, Matsui led the PL in saves for the third time this year, topping the category for the second year in a row with a career-best 39.
Matsui, who also pitched for this year's Japan championship team in the World Baseball Classic, posted a 1.57 ERA this season with 72 strikeouts over 59 games.
The Padres have emphasized pitching in the off-season, bringing in four pitchers in a blockbuster trade deal with the New York Yankees for slugger Juan Soto.
San Diego's first offseason free agent signing comes two days after reports the Los Angeles Dodgers, a National League West division rival of the Padres, had agreed to a 12-year deal worth $325 million with Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.