SAN DIEGO -- Little did Padres closer Trevor Hoffman know back in 1998 that he was working as a recruiter.

That year, Hoffman joined a group of major-league stars for an exhibition tour in Japan. Among the players he met was a fellow reliever, Akinori Otsuka. The right-hander peppered the big-leaguer with questions, and his interest in playing in the major leagues grew from there.

"I got a chance to speak with Trevor Hoffman and get his advice about being a closer," Otsuka said through his interpreter Wednesday afternoon, his first day as a major-leaguer. "To end up on the same team is kind of a strange happening. It's almost like a dream."

Otsuka officially was introduced as the newest Padre at a news conference in the home clubhouse at almost-completed Petco Park. The 31-year-old right-hander agreed to a two-year contract that guarantees him $1.7 million and includes a club option for 2006.

Otsuka will earn $700,000 next season and $800,000 in 2005. The option is for $1.75 million and includes a $200,000 buyout clause. He could earn slightly more in bonuses based on games finished, but that would be possible only if he becomes the closer.

"We feel we've signed one of the premier relief pitchers in the Japanese leagues," general manager Kevin Towers said. "We feel he's going to, hopefully, make this San Diego bullpen one of the strongest not only in the NL West, but, hopefully, in the National League."

Otsuka won't close with the Padres, barring injuries to both Hoffman and setup reliever Rod Beck, but he could be a key component of the bullpen. He has a 2.39 ERA and 137 saves in seven seasons of Japanese baseball and has shown remarkable control. The past two years, he struck out 110 and issued only eight walks while holding opponents to a .175 batting average.

He has a solid, 90-mph fastball but can pump it up when he must. His out pitch, however, is a devastating slider that drops so much it can be confused with a split-fingered pitch. Towers likened Otsuka's slider to Robb Nen's, and he compared Otsuka's over-the-top delivery to Hoffman's.

"He is very deceptive," Towers said.

Otsuka certainly caught Padres executives off guard when he made his first comments at the press conference in English.

"Today, my dream finally came true," Otsuka said. "Let's go Padres! I feel good. Please come support the Padres. Thank you very much."

Said Padres' executive Randy Smith: "I was shocked. I've been around him for the past three days, and I hadn't heard him say that much in English."

Otsuka practiced his English again when the Padres unveiled a No. 16 jersey.

"The number I wanted," he said.

Otsuka wanted No. 16 because that's the number Hideo Nomo wore with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995, when he became the first Japanese player to make an impact in the major leagues and opened the door for the players that followed.

Nomo came over as an unrestricted free agent. Otsuka went through the posting process. The Padres paid $300,000 to the Chunichi Dragons to obtain exclusive negotiation rights. It was their first attempt to sign a player out of the Japanese leagues since pitcher Hideki Irabu refused to negotiate with them in 1997.

Smith, named the Padres' director of professional and international scouting in October, said he will return to Japan next year. He does not expect the Padres to suddenly become a major buyer of Japanese talent.

"There's a process in place that makes that difficult," Smith said. "But we've seen enough good players come over here and have success that you've got to keep an eye on things, know who everybody is."

The Padres, in fact, might have outhustled a few clubs to get Otsuka. He went through the posting process last year without a bid. This time, other teams might have overestimated how much it would take to sign him and instead concentrated on major-league free agents.

"It was difficult," Otsuka said of getting no bids last year. "But I think it worked out for the better. The delay means I get to play in a new ballpark here, and I get to play for the Padres."

One player that apparently won't be joining Otsuka in San Diego is center fielder Kenny Lofton. Towers said it is "very doubtful" Lofton will accept the team's one-year contract offer. The Yankees have two years on the table, according to New York reports. Towers, who departs today for the baseball winter meeting in New Orleans, is mulling whether to pursue free agent Mike Cameron.

Contact staff writer Shaun O'Neill at (760) 740-3546 or soneill@nctimes.com.