NPB Tracker

First post of the new year is about… more pitchers signing with NPB teams.

• The Orix Buffaloes are set to acquire Cardinals lefty Evan MacLane, citing a need for a lefthanded rotation candidate. An official announcement is due early in the year. I noted the Buffaloes’ lack of lefty options when I looked at their group of starters last week. MacLane was on my list of foreign player candidates last year, on a tip from a Cardinals blogger.
• Yakult is working on bringing back Tony Barnette, who they had released earlier in the offseason following a rough year in Yoyogi.
• This last item is a little on the old side, but Softbank is bringing back DJ Houlton, who like Barnette was released after a difficult season. Houlton is taking a 50% pay cut to 50 million yen (about $600k).

Happy New Year!

Not much more to say than that. I hope everyone reading this had a safe and happy New Year’s Eve, and follows it up with a great 2011.