Padres ink Japanese collegiate pitcher Nogami to minor-league deal
San Diego adds 20-year-old Tatsuya Nogami, a strikeout-heavy pitcher from Japan's semi-hardball collegiate ranks, as an international free agent.
The Padres signed pitcher Tatsuya Nogami out of Osaka Sangyo University on a minor-league deal, making him one of a growing number of Japanese players bypassing NPB for MLB organizations. Nogami posted a 0.36 ERA with a 19.18 K/9 rate across 25.1 innings in his most recent collegiate season. He features a five-pitch mix including a four-seamer, slider, cutter, curveball, and splitter. He is expected to begin his professional career in the minor leagues.
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