Suzuki is a gamble. Success in Japan does not guarantee production in MLB.
In some ways signing him would be like signing a 23 yr old prospect that has torn up the minors for years in order to have cost control over him for the length of the contract.
Lets say the projected numbers on him are correct....5/55 plus the posting fee, which would make it about 5/65. A little over $12 mil per year. ( The posting fee is paid up front)
Which is the wisest signing for a smaller budgeted club?
Suzuki 5/65?
Garcia 3/36?
Soler 3/36?
Canha 2/24?
All carry the same annual cost.
O think there is almost zero chance the we could sign Suzuki, but lets make a case for him anyway.
The closest comparison is Hideki Matsui, who arrived in MLB at age 30. Matsui was a butcher in the field, basically a DH...which lowered his value considerably. Over his first five years he put up only 9.3 fWAR.
But with a bat he was very good....a 126 w RC+....exactly the same as Grady Sizemore in his first four years.
Lets look at their comparative lines....Matsui first...
BB ...10.8....10.4
K.......12.5....20.1
IS0....191.....205
BABIP...332...307
BA......295...283
OBP....371...369
SLG....485...488
During that span they were the same offensive player, minus Gradys speed.
IF Suzuki is another Matsui at age 27, and IF he can play an average defense, he will hit much like Grady and have more value than Matsui.
5/65 will be a steal, even for an org like the Guardians.
Thats a lot of IFs, but thats the gamble.
On the flip side, there are a lot of Japanese batters who were/are albatrosses.