All eyes are on NPB superstars like Roki Sasaki and Tomoyuki Sugano going stateside, but which players are heading in the other direction to Japan? And what about established NPB foreigners switching teams? Let’s look at some notable foreign talent who have already signed with NPB organizations this winter!
The Big Guns
Two of the highest-impact foreigner signings so far this offseason are undoubtedly Cuban reliever Raidel Martinez and Taiwanese starter Ruei-Yang Gu Lin.
Martinez has been among the top closers in NPB for the better part of five seasons, as the 28-year-old has posted 166 saves, a 1.71 ERA, and 10.2 K/9 across 303 career games with the Chunichi Dragons. Though he will not be testing the American market due to his Cuban nationality, Martinez is widely regarded as one of the top arms in the world pitching outside MLB. His NPB resume is even better than Robert Suarez, who has had great success in San Diego. But this week, Martinez left Nagoya to ink a four-year contract worth ¥5 billion ($32.6 million) with the Yomiuri Giants. He’s expected to be a setup man or closer for the 2024 Central League pennant winners, depending on what the team decides to do with star stopper Taisei.
Coming off an MVP season with the 7-Eleven Uni-Lions of the CPBL, Gu Lin signed a three-year pact with the Nippon-Ham Fighters worth $1.7 million plus incentives. The 24-year-old dominated against Japan at the Asia Professional Baseball Championship in 2023 and had a career-best 1.66 ERA with 150 strikeouts across 125 innings in 2024. Impressive stats in Taiwan don’t always translate to immediate success in NPB, but his fastball sits in the low to mid-90s, and he has a good splitter and curveball to go with it, making him a strong candidate to make the Fighters rotation in 2025.
Official Foreign Player Signings as of December 15, 2024
Yomiuri Giants: RHP Raidel Martinez (former Chunichi)
Hiroshima Carp: 1B Elehuris Montero, OF Sandro Fabian, RHP Johan Dominguez
Yakult Swallows: RHP Mike Baumann, RHP Peter Lambert
Chunichi Dragons: UTL Jason Vosler, LHP Kyle Muller
Nippon-Ham Fighters: RHP Ruei Yang Gu Lin
Lotte Marines: RHP Tayron Guerrero, LHP Bryan Sammons
Seibu Lions: RHP Emmanuel Ramirez, 1B Leandro Cedeno (former Orix)
Rakuten Eagles: RHP Spencer Howard, RHP Miguel Yajure (former Yakult)
Orix Buffaloes: IF Jordan Diaz
Notable Players to Re-Sign for 2025: Andre Jackson (BayStars), Anthony Kay (BayStars), Tyler Austin (BayStars), Elier Hernandez (Yomiuri), Alberto Baldonado (Yomiuri), Kyle Keller (Yomiuri), Maikel Franco (Eagles), Franmil Reyes (Fighters)
Noteworthy imports out of this group include Spencer Howard — a former top prospect for the Philadelphia Phillies — Mike Baumann — a hard-thrower who pitched for five MLB teams last season — Kyle Muller — a tall southpaw who was a key piece in the 2022 Sean Murphy trade — Sandro Fabian — a former outfield prospect who made his MLB debut in 2024 — Miguel Yajure — a right-hander who made 22 starts for the Swallows last year — and Leandro Cedeno — a young slugger who hit 24 homers with the Buffaloes from 2023 to 2024.
Next week, we’ll take a look at Japanese players on the move domestically!
- NPB Standings
- Central League Hitting Leaders
- Central League Pitching Leaders
- Pacific League Hitting Leaders
- Pacific League Pitching Leaders
- Yakyu Cosmopolitan’s Website
