Seattle Mariners set to sign reliever Yoshihisa Hirano

The Mariners are on the verge of adding another piece to their puzzle of a bullpen.

On the Seattle Times’ Extra Innings Podcast with Ryan Divish and Larry Stone, the former said he expects the Mariners to finalize a deal with right-handed relief pitcher Yoshihisa Hirano. The 35-year-old Hirano has only pitched two seasons in the United States and Major League Baseball, both with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In that time, Hirano has logged 119.1 innings with a 3.85 FIP, averaging a little over a strikeout per inning and 3.39 BB/9. He mainly relies on two pitches, a splitter and four-seam fastball, and rarely ever utilizes his slider. The splitter was by far his best offering last year, limiting…