MLB free agency: Rockies should consider NPB reliever Kazuhisa Makita

Kazuhisa Makita, like Shohei Ohtani, will be posted to MLB in December | SBNation.com
Fun as it may sound, the Rockies are unlikely to land the services of Shohei Ohtani. But there's another NPB player who will be posted soon, and he could play a role the Rockies need. Kazuhisa Makita is a 33-year-old right-handed reliever whose fastball peaks at around 85 mph. Not only does that not sound enticing, it sounds downright unplayable. But Makita's delivery makes him an effective pitcher: He's a submariner.

The extremely low arm slot makes him deceptive, and it makes it difficult to get lift off of his pitches. Makita hasn't struck a lot of batters out, but he also doesn't walk many, and it's very difficult to hit a home run off of him. Over the last two seasons, Makita's given up a grand total of 7 home runs in 129.1 innings. For context, Greg Holland, who had a great season, gave up 7 home runs in just 57.1 innings in 2017. The Rockies would have to pay a posting fee for Makita. But his profile and the team's bullpen need suggest it would be worth taking a shot.

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