While all the attention is on Hunter Goodman, the Colorado Rockies might also move off right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.
With the 2026 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline less than 48 hours away, the Colorado Rockies might be making some significant changes to their roster.
In the weeks leading up to the deadline, much of the focus has been on the future of catcher Hunter Goodman, the 26-year-old, two-time All-Star catcher whose bat alone has many other teams interested in his services.
Perhaps Jake McCarthy will be gone, too, after arriving in Colorado following a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks in January. Both McCarthy and Goodman will not be unrestricted free agents for years, yet they could be gone by Monday at 6 p.m. ET. anyway.
If the immediate futures of Goodman and McCarthy are up in the air, what does that mean for players on a much shorter deal? Specifically, what does it mean for right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano?
Sugano might be gone
On Friday, in a series-opening win over the Kansas City Royals, Sugano may have pitched in front of the Rockies’ faithful for the last time.
Sugano delivered 6.2 innings of work and put up a modest stat line of two strikeouts while allowing five hits and one earned run. The 36-year-old earned his seventh winning decision in a row, which pushed him to 11-4 on the year.
After the game, Sugano, who is from Kanagawa, Japan, expressed his appreciation for the Rockies’ fanbase via his interpreter, Yuto Sakurai.
Sugano talked about how special the moment was while making it clear that he was happy to come to the organization. Like McCarthy, this is Sugano’s first season in Colorado, but instead of having controllable years ahead of him, he is on a one-year, $5.1 million deal.
Because of this, Sugano’s time with the Rockies might be limited to the weekend, and his message to the fans felt as if it had a tone of finality.
How did Sugano get here?
Sugano’s story is a unique one. After he spent 12 years playing professionally in Japan, he signed his first MLB contract with the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the 2025 season.
On March 30, 2025, Sugano made his MLB debut at 35 years and 170 days old, which, according to his MLB.com player profile, made him the oldest Japanese player to make his MLB debut since former New York Mets left-hander Ken Takahashi, who was 40 years and 16 days old, in 2009.
Unlike Takahashi, who spent just one season in MLB, Sugano is already in his second season and going strong. During the 2025 campaign with the Orioles, He notched a 10-10 record with a 4.64 ERA through 30 starts.
After Sugano elected free agency last November, Colorado signed him on Feb. 10. He has been a bright spot for a Rockies team that has struggled immensely this season, and it is clear that, despite those struggles and an uncertain future, Sugano has enjoyed his time playing in front of the fans at Coors Field.
Sugano might not have the same pull as Goodman or McCarthy, but his absence will be felt if his short tenure with the team is coming to an end.
