The Yokohama BayStars have signed right-hander J.B. Wendelken, the New York Publish’s Jon Heyman reviews (Twitter hyperlink).  The contract is a one-year take care of an possibility for 2024, and Wendelken can earn as much as $3.05MM, together with incentives.

Wendleken elected free company after the season, ending a stint with the Diamondbacks that started in August 2021 when Arizona claimed him off waivers from the A’s.  The Diamondbacks agreed to an arbitration-avoiding one-year, $835K take care of Wendelken final winter, however he posted solely a 5.29 ERA over 29 innings in 2022.  Arizona designated the righty for project in July after which outrighted him off the 40-man roster, with Wendelken then spending the rest of the season at Triple-A Reno.

Starting his profession in Oakland, Wendelken had a strong 2.30 ERA over 74 1/3 reduction innings from 2018-20, although his 3.74 SIERA was maybe extra reflective of his general work.  Wendelken benefited from a really low .218 BABIP in these three seasons, however his fortune modified with a .310 BABIP in 2021 and a dropoff in his strikeout charge.  The precise-hander has solely a 19% strikeout charge and a unimpressive 11.4% stroll charge over 72 2/3 innings for the reason that begin of the 2021 season, in addition to a 4.71 ERA.

With this latest efficiency, Wendelken might need been hard-pressed to seek out something past than a minor league take care of an MLB workforce this winter, so he has as a substitute opted for some assured cash and a contemporary begin in Japan.  Wendelken’s Triple-A numbers are value noting, as he had a robust 2.63 ERA, 35.1% strikeout charge, and 9.6% stroll charge over the small pattern measurement of 24 innings with Reno.  This gives some hope that Wendelken can maybe get on observe with the BayStars, and both proceed in NPB or maybe ultimately discover a return to North American baseball.