The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters announced yesterday that they are bringing back the right-hander Drew Verhagen One-year contract. Last winter, Vayner Sports customers joined the Fighters for the first time on a one-year deal with a 2025 player option. While he appeared to explore the possibility of free agency in lieu of a player option, he still chose to return to Hokkaido.
Verhagen split the 24 season between the Fighters and their minor league affiliate. He posted equally solid numbers at both stops. The 34-year-old pitched 49 innings of 3.12 ERA ball in Japan’s top league and posted a 3.06 FPS in 47 minor league appearances. He fanned a slightly above-average 20.6% NPB of opponents while walking 5% of his opponents.
That was Verhagen’s third season with the Fighters. He pitched for the team during the 2020-21 season and now has a 3.44 ERA average in 256 2/3 NPB innings. While in Japan, he appeared in parts of eight Major League Baseball (MLB) games. Verhagen was a long reliever for the Tigers from 2014-19. He returned to the majors in 2022 and played two seasons with the Cardinals. He posted a 6.65 ERA in his first year in St. Louis, and he bounced back in 2023 with a 3.98 OPS in 61 innings, a career-high.
