2011 Players signed (or apparently) to play overseas

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:33 pm

Wladimir Balentien has signed with a team in Japan.

Balentien never caught on state-side, registering a .221/.281/.374 career batting line and 149 strikeouts over 511 major league at-bats. If he plays well enough in Japan, he may be able to find a spot on a big league roster for 2012. It's not yet known which Japanese club he signed with.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... t=MLB&id=6

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:35 pm

According to Sanspo.com, Akinori Iwamura has signed on with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan.

It sounded like Iwamura would have preferred remaining in the U.S., but after hitting .173/.285/.250 in 196 at-bats for the Pirates and A's last season, he wasn't going to be offered anything more than a minor league deal over here. A solid regular with the Rays from 2007-09, he returns to Japan having hit .267/.345/.375 with 16 homers in 1,545 at-bats.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=4448

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:39 pm

According to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker, Randy Messenger has agreed to a deal to stay with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Central League.

Messenger wasn't all that impressive in his first season in Japan, posting a 4.93 ERA and 48/31 K/BB ratio over 80 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old right-hander has a 4.87 ERA in 173 major league games, averaging 5.8 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9, so it doesn't look like he has made any breakthroughs.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... MLB&id=590

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 6:51 am

According to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, Dennis Sarfate will sign a contract with the Hiroshima Carp on Wednesday.

Score another one for the Carp. Sarfate, who came over to the O's from the Astros in the Miguel Tejada trade, posted a 2.73 ERA and 72/27 K/BB ratio as the primary closer with Triple-A Norfolk this past season. He hasn't appeared in the big leagues since 2009 and recently became a minor league free agent.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... =1&id=4767

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 6:52 am

According to Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker, the Hiroshima Carp of Japan's Central League are close to signing Chad Tracy.

He'll get around $1.3 million from the Carp, much more than he would have been able to find in the United States, so good for him. The 30-year-old batted .247/.306/.322 with one home run and 15 RBI in 146 at-bats between the Cubs and Marlins this past season.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... =1&id=3586

Reds · Post by **Reds** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 4:08 pm

Micah Hoffpauir has signed a one-year deal with the Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Pacific League.

Hoffpauir mashed again at Triple-A this past season, but his success didn't translate to the major league level, as he batted just .173/.246/.231 with zero homers in 52 at-bats. His power lefty bat should do well in Japan.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=5030

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 11:37 am

Bryan Bullington has signed a contract with Japan's Hiroshima Carp.

Bullington, a former No. 1 overall draft pick, posted a 6.12 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 42 2/3 innings this year for the Royals and was designated for assignment earlier this month. He should fare better overseas.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... MLB&id=800

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Thu Nov 25, 2010 1:42 pm

Free agent Kaz Matsui has decided to return to Japan, agreeing to a deal with the Rakuten Eagles.

Matsui, 35, spent seven seasons in the U.S. and hit .267/.321/.380 in 2,302 at-bats. He was a solid enough starting second baseman, but both teams that gave him long-term deals soon regretted it. He made $38 million over the seven seasons, but only the Rockies, who picked him up from the Mets in 2006, got their money's worth.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=3789

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 1:28 pm

Jonathan Albaladejo has signed a one-year, $950,000 deal with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Central League.

The Yankees granted Albaladejo his release last week after he told them his plans of playing overseas. Giants manager Tatsunori Hara said Albaladejo could possibly be used as a starter. He has been terrific at Triple-A the last few years, but Albaladejo has never really gotten an extended chance at the major league level. He'll probably try to use a big season in Japan as a launching pad to a bigger role with an MLB team in 2012.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=5284

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 2:26 pm

Ryan Garko has signed a contract with a team in Korea.

Garko showed some promise a couple of years ago with the Indians, but he was exposed once teams tried to make him an everyday player and probably stands to gain more financially overseas. The 29-year-old finished with a .091/.167/.091 batting line over 33 big league at-bats in 2010.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... 259&id=514

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Sat Dec 11, 2010 2:48 pm

Rusty Ryal has decided to play baseball in Japan next season.

Ryal turned in an ugly .261/.308/.348 batting line over 222 plate appearances fro the Diamondbacks this year. He can probably do better financially in Japan than he would have in the state-side minor leagues.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... 37&id=6023

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 2:12 pm

Tigers released RHP Alex Figaro.

Figaro has signed a contract with the Orix Buffaloes in Japan and will spend at least one season overseas. The 26-year-old right-hander went 10-6 with a 4.14 ERA in 23 starts this past year at Triple-A Toledo.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=5532

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Thu Dec 16, 2010 7:01 am

Mike Hessman has agreed to a contract with the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese Pacific League.

Hessman has bashed Triple-A pitching mercilessly the last few years but has batted only .188/.272/.422 with 14 homers over 223 major league at-bats across five seasons. We wouldn't be surprised if the 32-year-old is a slugger in Japan.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=3753

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 3:43 pm

Diamondbacks released OF Rusty Ryal.

Ryal has agreed to terms with a team in Japan and will spend his 2011 season overseas. The 27-year-old hit just .261/.308/.348 over 222 plate appearances this year as a bench player for the D'Backs.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=6023

Diamondbacks sold INF-OF Rusty Ryal to the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Central League.

An expected move. Ryal, who turns 28 in March, batted .263/.318/.402 with six home runs and 20 RBI in 266 plate appearances with the Diamondbacks over the past two seasons, functioning as a utility player. Ryal's father, Mark, played in Japan with the Chunichi Dragons in 1991 and 1992.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=6023

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 3:45 pm

Kelvin Jimenez has signed a contract with a Japanese team.

The Rakuten Golden Eagles, to be exact. Jimenez also spent the 2010 season overseas, pitching for a club in Korea. The 30-year-old right-hander posted a 5.63 ERA and 1.79 WHIP over 24 innings with the Cardinals in 2008, his last full season in the major leagues. He might never return.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=5050

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:00 pm

NPB Tracker's Patrick Newman reports that Anthony Lerew is expected to sign with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League.

It was reported last month that Lerew signed a minor league deal with the A's, but apparently the contract must have contained some sort of out clause. He posted a 2.55 ERA and 1.33 WHIP over 123 2/3 innings for the Royals' Triple-A affiliate in 2010, but the 28-year-old holds a 7.48 ERA over 61 1/3 career major league innings

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... MLB&id=166

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 12:38 pm

Chan Ho Park has signed a contract with Japan's Orix Buffaloes.

Park spoke with the Pirates about a contract last month, but the two sides never reached an agreement and the 37-year-old is now heading home. He registered a 3.49 ERA and 23/7 K/BB ratio over 28 1/3 innings for the Bucs in 2010. The right-hander is probably done with Major League Baseball.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=1918

Reds · Post by **Reds** » Mon Dec 20, 2010 12:39 pm

not really heading home though as rotoworld noted... he is Korean, not Japanese

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Tue Dec 21, 2010 7:02 pm

Dodgers designated LHP Brent Leach for assignment.

We learned yesterday that the Yokohama BayStars signed Leach, so this is something of a formality. The 28-year-old left-hander posted a 5.75 ERA and 19/12 K/BB ratio over 20 1/3 innings with the Dodgers in 2009, but split last season between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Albuquerque.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=5914

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Tue Dec 28, 2010 4:29 pm

The Chiba Lotte Marines have signed former Orioles farmhand Bob McCrory.

The 28-year-old McCrory had labrum surgery in October 2009 and returned this past season to post a 4.88 ERA in 19 appearances with Double-A Bowie. "...for my style, I feel that I’m the type that attacks batters with a fastball and a good sinker," McCrory said. "I will do my best to show all the Marines fans my best performance."

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=5318

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Sun Jan 02, 2011 2:15 pm

The Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese Pacific League have signed LHP Evan MacLane.

MacLane finally made it up to the big leagues in 2010 with the Cardinals after five seasons at Triple-A and promptly made history by becoming the second pitcher in the last 40 years to allow a walk-off home run to the first batter he faced in the majors. He's put up some decent numbers in the minors but doesn't really have big league stuff, so a move overseas is probably a wise one for the 28-year-old.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=4304

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:36 pm

Brian Bannister has signed a one-year contract with the Tokyo Giants.

Off he goes. The 29-year-old right-hander drew very little interest from MLB clubs this offseason after posting an ugly 6.34 ERA and 1.63 WHIP over 127 2/3 innings for the Royals in 2010. Bannister is only 29 years old, so we could see him back in the states at some point in the future.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... MLB&id=577

Padres · Post by **Padres** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 9:56 am

Radhames Liz has signed a contract with the Korean team the LG Twins.

Liz was once looked at as an up and coming talent with the Orioles organization but was never able to live up to the potential. He also spent time with the San Diego Padres organization in 2010. Now he will join fellow pitcher Brian Bannister as former major league pitchers heading oversees this offseason.

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/player ... LB&id=4447