"Long's top big league campaign was in 2024, when he had a career-best 3.16 ERA and 25% strikeout rate over 42 2/3 innings out of the K.C. bullpen. Generally a low-strikeout pitcher with pretty ordinary walk rates, Long's results have tended to ebb and flow along with his batted-ball luck, and he has a 4.65 ERA to show for his 211 career innings in the majors with the Giants, Athletics, and Royals."
"The 30-year-old almost surely would've had to settle for a minor league contract this winter if he'd stuck to courting MLB teams, so the move to Japan will earn Long some extra money on a guaranteed deal. He'll now look for a fresh start to his career and a role with a Marines team that has made the playoffs four times in the last six years, thought they have been unable to advance to the Japan Series."
Sam Long signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines for the 2026 season after five MLB seasons. He posted a 5.36 ERA over 40 1/3 relief innings for the Royals in 2025. His best big-league year came in 2024 with a 3.16 ERA and a 25% strikeout rate across 42 2/3 innings. Long has a 4.65 ERA across 211 MLB innings with the Giants, Athletics and Royals, and his results have varied with batted-ball luck. Elbow inflammation caused him to miss more than two months in 2025. He was outrighted off the Royals' 40-man roster, elected minor-league free agency, and chose a guaranteed deal in Japan for additional security and a new opportunity with a playoff-caliber Marines club.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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