The Rays Senior VP/GM Erik Neander said during the Winter Meetings that he would like to add two if not three position players between now and the start of Spring Training. The announcement on Monday night that the Rays had signed Yoshitomo Tsutsugo is a good step toward helping the offense for 2020.

The 28-year-old Tsutusgo will be introduced on Tuesday afternoon in a news conference that will include Neander, along with manager Kevin Cash.

Tsutsugo, spent 10 seasons with the Yokohama BayStars in Japan, hitting .285 with a .910 OPS, as well as 205 HR, and 613 RBI over 968 games. Over the last four seasons, Tsutsugo’s 139 homers led the league. The left-handed batter appeared in 131 games for Yokohama last season, batting .272 with an .899 OPS and 29 home runs, 79 RBI and 88 walks.

There are always going to be questions about signing a player from overseas. How Tsutsugo will adapt to a new league and a new culture will be a challenge. That said, the Rays don’t have an overwhelming media contingent like New York or Boston, and have a clubhouse reputation that is as welcoming as any in the game. That should help him acclimate more quickly.

The Rays also have been careful in signing players from Japan, choosing the right fit. The last player to begin their career in MLB here was Aki Iwamura, and that turned out quite well.

Offensively, Tsutsugo provides many of the attributes that Tommy Pham did, just from the left side. Tsutsugo was fairly neutral in terms of his success against lefties and righties. Like Pham, he was a high on-base player (a low of .373 in the past six seasons) and hit at least 22 homers in each season since 2014.

While not possessing the speed of a Pham, Tsutsugo does provide more defensive versatility, although he is considered just an average defender. He can play third base, plus left, and DH at times, along with first if needed. Pham was used only in left.

If he’s not a great defender, the Rays can find different ways to protect their pitcher and Tsutsugo. For instance, if you expect less action at third base (right handed starter with a lineup full of lefties) you can put him there. If you have a fly ball pitcher, you can position Tsutsugo on the infield, or in the outfield for a heavy ground-ball guy.

Remember that the Rays still have the ability to put several plus defenders on the field in Kevin Kiermaier, Willy Adames, Brandon Lowe, Hunter Renfroe, and Mike Zunino as well as either Joey Wendle or Daniel Robertson.

Even with the addition, the Rays still have needs for the remainder of the off-season. Most of it will be adding right-handed bats. While Tsutsugo is fairly neutral and Kevin Kiermaier was better last year against lefties, the two true right-handed threats against southpaws are Yandy Diaz and Hunter Renfroe.

Mike Brosseau has had great minor league numbers against lefties, and Adames and Robertson are certainly capable of producing against southpaws too. Kevin Padlo could very well help the Rays soon against lefties.

That said, expect Tampa Bay to add one or two more righties to the roster between now and Spring Training to balance the group out a bit more. Whether that’s via free agency, trade or a combination of both is hard to say. Either way, the Tsutsugo should be the start of positive additions for 2020.