"There's a new chef in San Diego": Top 10 funny memes as Yuki Matsui signs with the San Diego Padres

Yuki Matsui signed with the San Diego Padres on a five-year deal that cements his position as the primary choice in the club's bullpen. This is the first money splurge by the Padres, who are having a difficult and quiet offseason thus far.

Yuki Matsui has been a top reliever in Japan's NPB for ten years. He has played for Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, amassing 236 saves with a miser 2.40 ERA over 659.2 innings. He had a record-breaking 2023 season with 39 saves and 72 strikeouts in 57.1 innings.

The Padres signed the 28-year-old Japanese to a five-year $28 million contract with opt-out options in the third and fourth year. If Masui suffers an elbow injury, the fifth year of the contract can be turned into a club option.

Regardless, Yuki Matsui seems to be a reliable figure. The Japanese closer has a fastball ranging from 92 mph to 95 mph. His pitch has a strong range from a low arm slot position and has versatile options, including a split-fingered fastball and a slider.

As this was the first signing by their team this offseason, Padres fans took to X, formerly Twitter, with a plethora of memes. They celebrated GM AJ Preller's efforts in rebuilding the team.

Here are a few meme reactions:

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Padres try to damage control with Yuki Matsui signing

The San Diego Padres have been in a crisis of sorts this offseason. Financial struggles and a massive luxury tax bill forced the franchise to reduce its payroll by a significant margin, almost $100 million. This has significantly weakened their pitching staff.

Yuki Matsui is the first important component the Padres have added to their bullpen this season. They had to let go of primary relievers Josh Hader and Nick Martinez to free agency while also needing to trade Scott Barlow to the Cleveland Guardians.

Some more deals are expected to follow, but in a competitive division like the NL West, the Padres will be required to do more.

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