Looks like we can call this list final. I’ll bring it back up for those who are new to the site or didn’t see it before. Look for a couple more previews of guys on this list (like the one on Lew Ford here) in the lead up to the season.
Also a thanks to John Brooks for his ongoing help in putting together this list.
Central League
Chunichi Dragons:
none
Hanshin Tigers:
Lew Ford (OF, Twins): Promising five tool player seemed on the verge of greatness in 2004, even finishing 24th in MVP voting when he hit 15 HRs, stole 20, and sported a .381 OBP. Went downhill from there and spent half of 2007 in the minors.
Scott Atchison (P, Giants): Former Mariners prospect most recently with the Giants had a solid 2007 in Fresno, ending with a 2.01 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Appeared in 22 games with the big club, but gave up five HRs in 30 innings.
Hiroshima Toyo Carp:
Colby Lewis (P, A’s): Appeared in 26 games with the big club last season. Was great in Sacramento going 8-3, a 1.88 ERA and a WHIP a shade under one (0.97).
Ben Kozlowski (P, Yankees): Was signed as a free agent by the Yankees in early 2007. Had a 3.00 ERA in 42 games at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Mike Schultz (P, Diamondbacks): Had a one-inning shot of espresso with the big club this year. Was used mostly as a long reliever with the Tucson Sidewinders, going 4-5 through 78 innings.
Scott Seabol (IF, Marlins): Hit 32 HRs, with 100 R, 105 RBIs for the Albuquerque Isotopes of the Pacific League in 2007.
Tokyo Yakult Swallows:
Daniel Rios (P, Doosan Bears): The 35-year-old Rios comes off an MVP year in the Korean leauge in which he won 22 games and kept his ERA right around two.
Yokohama BayStars:
Dave Williams (P, Mets): At one time lefty projected to be part of a young great Pirates rotation. Good control, .614 winning pct. in the minors.
Travis Hughes (P, Red Sox): 6 ft. 5 in. 235 pounder could be a monster in Japan. Saved 24 with a 1.91 ERA, 29 walks in 75.1 innings at Pawtucket in 2007.
Larry Bigbie (OF, Braves): Once a top Orioles prospect is an average fielder, but has a major league arm. Solid gap hitter.
Mike Wood (P, Rangers): Has thrown 344 innings in the major leagues. Career minor league record of 49-18 (3.13 ERA, 1.16 WHIP)
J.J. Furmaniak (IF, A’s): Hit 15 HR, stole 21 bases last year for the Sacramento River Cats.
Yomiuri Giants:
Adrian Burnside (P, Padres): Former Dodgers prospect reinvented himself as a reviever in 2005 with solid results.
Pacific League
Chiba Lotte Marines:
Brian Sikorski (P, Indians): Well travelled reliever posted 21 Ks in 15 innings for Indians affiliate in Buffalo during 2007 before signing with Yakult.
Winston Abreu (P, Nationals): Was dominant over 52 innings in Triple A Columbus averaging 1.6 Ks/Inn. Threw 30 innings with the big club mostly during May and June.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks:
Michael Restovich (OF, Nationals): Former Twins prospect batted .270/.332/.503 with 20 HRs and 58 RBI in 97 games in Columbus.
D.J. Houlton (P, Dodgers): Big kid out of Southern California went 12-5 with a 2.94 ERA in Double A Round Rock in 2004.
Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters:
Termel Sledge (OF, Padres): Already wrote about him here. In 2006 Sledge went .311/.402/.583 with an OPS of .985. in Triple-A Portland. Could become the Eric Davis of Japan.
Orix Buffaloes:
none
Seibu Lions:
Matt Kinney (P, Giants): Former member of the Brewers rotation has been prone to the longball in the U.S., but will succeed in Japan if he keeps the ball down and in the park.
Craig Brazell (1B, Royals): Free swinger smacked 33 doubles and 32 HRs for the Omaha Royals last season.
Hiram Bocachica (OF, Padres): Opposite of free swinger was once a Moneyball project. Posted OBPs of .444, .422, and .450 the past three years for the Sacramento River Cats. Was picked up off waivers by the Padres during last season.
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles:
none
22 responses so far ↓
1 John Brooks // Dec 14, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Well it will now be interesting to see what NPB teams do now with players that were implicated in the Mitchell Report today. Adam Riggs, Jeff Williams, Alex Cabrera, and Larry Bigbie were all implicated in it today. Bigbie admitted using steroids to Mitchell. Since there’s no union like the MLBPA to represent them there, they could be released or not signed quick if teams decided it wasn’t worth keeping them.
2 A.S. // Dec 14, 2007 at 11:37 pm
From the brief glance I took at the list it seemed Bigbie was pretty well-connected in part of the thing.
3 A.S. // Dec 14, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Rumor has it that Jackson Broder kept a crinkled photo of Ford in his wallet during 2001-2004.
4 Jon Shields // Dec 15, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I hope Lew Ford can get his career on track. He looked so so sooo promising.
5 A.S. // Dec 17, 2007 at 8:36 am
I actually think he might. I like and Termel Sledge to come over here and do really well. Not as sluggers, but as solid, all-around players.
6 John Brooks // Dec 17, 2007 at 3:43 pm
The one player I’m rooting for is Craig Brazell. He’s the one I like to see what numbers he will put up as a player after a solid 2007.
7 John Brooks // Dec 19, 2007 at 5:12 pm
It looks like the Yakult Swallows are close to signing pitcher Daniel Rios, who won 22 games with the Doosan Bears to a two year contract worth 300 million yen, with a possible option for a third year. Rios has been a star pitcher in Korea since 2002.
8 A.S. // Dec 19, 2007 at 7:16 pm
Yikes. That’d be a big loss for Korean baseball. Guess that’s what they get for paying their foreigners in pennies and kimchi.
9 Daniel Rios Says, “Annyeong, Korea” : Korea Beat // Dec 27, 2007 at 6:09 pm
[…] baseball blog The East Windup Chronicle has a list of foreign players entering the Japan leagues this […]
10 Jonathan // Jan 14, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Swallows fan here. I hope that Rios guy can deal in Japan. We just lost our most effective hitter and pitcher to the Giants over the offseason and our only bright spot is that we probably won’t drop a place in the standings to last since Hiroshima lost Kuroda to the Dodgers. So ya, go Dan.
11 Shinsano // Jan 14, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I think he’ll do pretty well in Japan. He won’t win 20 games, but I think his control has improved as he’s gotten older. There’s no reason to think he’ll go downhill. 35 isn’t so old for a pitcher anymore.
12 Dan // Jan 23, 2008 at 6:25 am
in response to A.S.
i dunno…400K to play baseball in Korea seems pretty good for mostly AA-AAA level players. what’s the average salary for the Japanese league?
13 Shinsano // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I’m not sure what the average is but Jason Johnson getting 3 million last year rings pretty loud in my head. That’s more than three times what Kim Dong-ju is getting as the highest paid player in Korea.
14 Dan // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:28 pm
yeah..just by glancing at japanesebaseball.com, it seems that foreign players in Japan make anywhere from 330k (Seabol) to a couple million (Rios etc) a year.
15 John Brooks // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Usually the first year foreign player in Japan won’t made $3M USD. The Johnson signing is probably more panic after losing Matsuzaka and being so full of cash. In the end a very poor decision to go after a washed up MLB pitcher. Should of spent the money on a fringe pitcher in the 4A category.
Switching to salary, it really depends on the team and how much experience they have. As in Rios’ case, he’s making $950,000 in his first year in Japan, which is over 2.3 times what he is making in Korea.
16 Dan // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:56 pm
yeah…the KBO’s salary cap on foreign players hurt Doosan’s chance to even have a shot at getting Rios to come back.
but, despite korea’s low salary for foreign players compared to Japan, in my opinion, it still has to be better than getting paid peanuts, staying in a motel 6, and taking 15 hour bus rides to cities such as Wichita and Frisco.
17 Shinsano // Jan 23, 2008 at 12:59 pm
It’s pretty wild to me that the KBO is talking about contracting a team. I think it indicates the teams are really unwilling to spend money on baseball, which doesn’t bode well for the league. Korea’s economy has gained a lot of ground on Japan’s in the last 10 years, but the bugets in the KBO don’t reflect that at all.
18 Shinsano // Jan 23, 2008 at 1:08 pm
RE: Comment #16
Oh, you’re right on about that Dan. I think these guys have a great standard of living over here as compared to AA or AAA in the states. I’m sure they’re hooked up with nice apartments and plenty of other perks. Plus the tax benenfits and pensions for skilled labor are pretty fantastic in Korea.
Actually, that is a minor point about the salaries being low…they do make up for it slightly in other amenities. Not 2.6MM worth, but some.
19 Dan // Jan 23, 2008 at 1:10 pm
yeah…basically, all teams in the KBO lose money….pretty sad when your own commish comes out and says that if a company was given a team for free…the company would run the other way.
too bad there are very few self made millionaires in korea (ala mark cuban..or an al davis type) that would just want to spend their money on a team.
20 Shinsano // Jan 23, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Maybe Andre Kim would buy a team…
21 aaron // Mar 17, 2008 at 7:34 am
What about Aaron Guiel?
22 Gary Burnham // Jun 3, 2008 at 12:26 am
Guys, Gary Burnham again. Gotta give my two cents in here. I have been a classic 4A guy for the past 6 years in the states. I have never made significant money in minor league baseball. The money you can make in Korea or Japan is far greater than the 40- 50K you would make as a AA or AAA free agent. Coming out here to play if you can do well is life changing money if you are smart financially live conservatively and invest the money wisely…..
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