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Don't know if this has been posted yet or not.

Japanese League | Graman Signs with Seibu
Sun, 15 Jan 2006 15:33:23 -0800

Japanesebaseball.com reports the Seibu Lions have signed free agent P Alex Graman (Cincinnati Reds) to a one-year deal worth an estimated 50 million yen. The 28-year-old Graman played with the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds in 2005.

I know we used a lot of pitchers last year but I don't recall this guy. :confused:

Alex Graman: Individual Stats (Pitching)
Team From To W L ERA G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO
New York Yankees 04/03 07/29 0 0 13.50 2 0 0 0 0 1.1 3 2 2 1 2 0
Columbus Clippers 04/07 07/29 5 6 3.18 23 16 0 0 1 96.1 95 40 34 12 36 96
Louisville Bats 08/15 09/05 2 1 3.09 5 4 0 0 0 23.1 23 9 8 2 12 19

Don't think he was ever pitched for the Reds at the major league level, but his minor league numbers seem somewhat impressive.

He got fifty million for only one year, he must have been impressive. ;)

He is going to be making about $425,000 for a year overseas. not too shabby for a guy that has only pitched in a handful of big league games.

Alex is an Indiana guy who had been with the Yankees ever since getting picked in the 3rd round in 1999 out of Indiana State. As a college "polished lefty", he moved fairly quick through the NY system, reaching AAA in 2002 in his age-24 season. He then spent most of 2002, all of 2003 and almost all of 2004 in Columbus, appearing in three games (and getting blasted) with the Yankees that year. In 2005, after being shunted back to Columbus again (getting two more appearances in New York and getting beat on again), he asked for and got his release in August and signed with the Reds, going 2-1, 3.09 in five appearances (four starts). Cincinnati released him in October and I was hoping he'd resign, but he chose the Japan route instead.

With four full seasons in AAA under his belt (his ERA improved each time, from 4.65 to 4.48 to 3.37 to 3.15), the now-28-year-old Graman has proved that he's an AAAA-quality guy. Apparently he feels as though he has nothing further to prove in the International League, so expect him to be back in 2007 should he have a successful year with Seibu.

Alex has a fairly solid K rate, around eight per nine in AAA, and doesn't walk too many (around 3.5 in AAA). He simply didn't get a real opportunity in the organization he was in. Don't be surprised if he comes back from Japan and puts in a few seasons in the bigs with someone.

Quote:

Alex has a fairly solid K rate, around eight per nine in AAA, and doesn't walk too many (around 3.5 in AAA). He simply didn't get a real opportunity in the organization he was in. Don't be surprised if he comes back from Japan and puts in a few seasons in the bigs with someone.

Not wanting to seem lazy but how many MLB pitchers have come through the minors in the US than gone to Japan and come back as an MLB quality pitcher? I don't think I have heard of this before

Quote:

Originally Posted by LincolnparkRed

Not wanting to seem lazy but how many MLB pitchers have come through the minors in the US than gone to Japan and come back as an MLB quality pitcher? I don't think I have heard of this before

Darrell May is one. Although he's not all that special or anything.

Dan Serafini got an opportunity, although he ended up going right back. Even though he sucked with the Reds, he's gone back to Chiba Lotte and become a major cog in the Marines' rotation.

I'm certain there are others, but it's more common for position players.