IBC

Daniel Mengden has signed with the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan.

Mengden landed with the Nationals last July shortly after being cut loose by the Royals, but didn’t end up making it back to the big leagues last year. The 30-year-old righty has made 65 appearances (49 starts) in the majors since 2016.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/daniel-me ... fd86bf01f5

Kirk McCarty has signed with the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan.

McCarty spent last year with the SSG Landers of the Korea Baseball Organization. The 28-year-old southpaw made 13 appearances (two starts) for the Guardians during the 2022 campaign.

https://www.nbcsports.com/kirk-mccarty/ ... ff0dc90048

Manny Bañuelos has signed with the Rakuten Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan.

Bañuelos spent last year pitching for the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball after making a career-high 35 relief appearances during the 2022 campaign between the Pirates and Yankees. The 32-year-old lefty was one of the top pitching prospects in baseball a decade ago, but never really wound up panning out at the highest level for a variety of reasons. TINSTAAPP.

https://www.nbcsports.com/manny-banuelo ... fd8025014a

James Naile has signed with the Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization.

Naile heads overseas, where he’ll make $950,000 in Korea, after posting an inflated 7.40 ERA, 1.89 WHIP and 12/11 K/BB ratio across 24 1/3 innings (17 appearances) over the last two seasons for the Cardinals. The 30-year-old righty will aim to build up his long-term value overseas in Korea. His departure opens up a spot on St. Louis’ 40-man roster.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/james-naile/48647

Rougned Odor has signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

Odor heads overseas after posting a lackluster .675 OPS with four homers and two steals in 59 games last year for the Padres. Still just 29 years old, there’s a chance he’s able to rebuild his value in Japan to earn another shot in the big leagues.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/rougned-odor/48618

Padres wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 10:01 am Rougned Odor has signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

Odor heads overseas after posting a lackluster .675 OPS with four homers and two steals in 59 games last year for the Padres. Still just 29 years old, there’s a chance he’s able to rebuild his value in Japan to earn another shot in the big leagues.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/rougned-odor/48618

I am shocked that he is still only 29. I feel like he’s been disappointing for 12 years.

Brewers wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 7:03 pm

Padres wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 10:01 am Rougned Odor has signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

Odor heads overseas after posting a lackluster .675 OPS with four homers and two steals in 59 games last year for the Padres. Still just 29 years old, there’s a chance he’s able to rebuild his value in Japan to earn another shot in the big leagues.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/rougned-odor/48618

I am shocked that he is still only 29. I feel like he’s been disappointing for 12 years.

Seriously. I would've guessed he was at least 35.

Nate Fisher has signed with the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League, according to KPRC2’s Ari Alexander.

Fisher’s lone major league outing saw him pitch three scoreless innings with the Mets in 2022. Unfortunately, he had a pretty dreadful year with the White Sox’s Triple-A affiliate in 2023, finishing with a 6.51 ERA in 20 starts and six relief appearances. He’ll open this year in Mexico, but with a no-buyout clause in his contract, according to Alexander, he could quickly return to the U.S. if he gets off to a nice start.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/nate-fisher/50320

According to Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News, Hyun Jin Ryu signed with Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization.

The Hanwha Eagles have said nothing is confirmed, but is looking likely Jin Ryu will return to his former team in the KBO. According to Naver Sports, the deal is worth a little under $13 million over 4 years. Jin Ryu pitched for the Eagles from 2006-2012 and has said in the past he would finish his baseball career with the team. In his 7 seasons with the Eagles, Jin Ryu posted a 2.80 ERA, 1.15 WHIP over 181 starts. The 36-year-old lefty, who came back from Tommy John surgery last season, was unable to find a deal in MLB, so a reunion with the team that began his professional career is fitting.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/hyun-jin-ryu/214

Yonathan Daza signed with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the independent Mexican League.

Daza underwent left shoulder surgery last June and was a long shot to find an opportunity this spring with a major league club. The 29-year-old contact-oriented outfielder will aim to rebuild his long-term value south of the border in 2023.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/yonathan-daza/50287

Harold Castro has signed with the Toros de Tijuana of the independent Mexican League.

Castro was removed from Colorado’s 40-man roster last October after batting .252/.275/.314 across 270 plate appearances. The 30-year-old offers some defensive versatility, but hasn’t produced enough at the dish at the highest level to hang onto a bench spot.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/harold-castro/49268

Robinson Canó has signed a contract with the Diablos Rojos of the independent Mexican League.

It’s been a bizarre odyssey the last few years for Canó, who hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since a disastrous 33-game stint during the 2022 campaign between the Mets, Padres and Braves.

https://www.nbcsports.com/robinson-cano ... fd730503c8

Former Yankees slugger Greg Bird has signed on to play with the Charros de Jalisco in the Mexican League.

The 31-year-old hasn’t played in the big leagues since the 2019 season. He had been playing with the Melbourne Aces in the Australian Baseball League, where he was slashing .277/.348/.539 with 11 homers and 40 RBI in 161 plate appearances. Perhaps this could be the stepping-stone that Bird needs to return to affiliated baseball stateside.

https://www.nbcsports.com/greg-bird/000 ... fd86be003f

Abraham Almonte has signed with Olmecas de Tabasco of the independent Mexican League.

Almonte got into eight games last year for the Mets and will attempt to keep his playing career going in Mexico.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/abraham-almonte/50173

Jose Peraza has signed with Leones de Yucatan of the independent Mexican League.

Peraza spent last year at Triple-A Syracuse in the Mets’ minor-league system and hasn’t appeared in the majors since the 2021 campaign.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/jose-peraza/50158

Trevor Bauer said Monday that he’ll open the season pitching for the Diablos Rojas of Mexico.

Bauer will face the Yankees in a scheduled exhibition game on March 24 and then will start in five regular-season games in Mexico, the last coming on May 8. He hopes to land with an MLB club afterwards. Bauer spent last year in Japan after receiving no interest from major league teams.

https://www.nbcsports.com/trevor-bauer/ ... fd8025024b

Yasiel Puig has signed with El Aguila de Veracruz of the independent Mexican League.

There were rumblings earlier this offseason that Puig was generating some interst from big-league teams, but no deal ever came to fruition. The 33-year-old former standout will take his talents back to the independent Mexican League next month. He hasn’t played in the majors since the 2019 campaign.

https://www.nbcsports.com/yasiel-puig/0 ... fd80250325

Jaime Barria has signed with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization.

Barria was released by the Guardians last week to pursue an opportunity overseas and will take his talents to Korea in an effort to rebuild his long-term value. The 27-year-old righty has made 134 appearances (62 starts) in the big leagues, all of them for the Angels, dating back to 2018.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/jaime-barria/49400

Elieser Hernández has signed a one-year, $440,000 contract with the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization.

Hernández heads overseas in an attempt to rebuild his long-term value after being removed from Milwaukee’s 40-man roster last month. The 29-year-old right-hander, who is certainly going to benefit financially from the move to Korea, made nine appearances (one start) this season between the Brewers and Dodgers.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/elieser-hernandez/48967

Cardinals transferred INF/OF Jared Young to the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization.

You can’t trade a player to an international team, but you can transfer them with a player’s agreement. Young has been one of the most productive hitters in Triple-A the last two years with the Cubs and Cardinals, and he should get a chance to play everyday in the KBO.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/jared-young/50088

Yankees released INF Jeter Downs

Downs is signing with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Japan. The 26-year-old is a former top prospect that has slashed 264/.360/.498 with 10 homers and 15 stolen bases over 69 contests with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/jeter-downs/49159

LHP Eric Lauer has signed with the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization, according to Daniel Kim.

Lauer was released by the Astros earlier this week. He started the year in the Pirates organization before signing a minor league contract with Houston in May. He had a 5.26 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 86/31 SO/BB ratio in 75 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level this year. Lauer’s deal with the Kia Tigers is for the remainder of the 2024 season, according to Kim.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/eric-lauer/48836

Dallas Keuchel has signed with the Lotte Marines of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

The news got lost in the shuffle of the trade deadline a couple weeks ago, but Keuchel finally made his NPB debut on Friday evening, allowing two runs over five innings, while sitting only 86-88 mph with his sinker. The 36-year-old veteran is attempting to continue his career overseas in Japan following an underwhelming four-start stint earlier this year with the Brewers.

https://www.nbcsports.com/dallas-keuche ... fd802502aa