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Nats Import Lefty From Japan

Big In JapanUnfortunately, he’s an American returning back to affiliated baseball for the first time in three years. Sorry.

Jon Morosi of FOXSports.com has reported that LHP Brandon Mann has signed a minor-league deal with the Washington Nationals. The deal also includes an invite to spring training.

The 28-year-old southpaw has spent the past two seasons in Japan with the Yokohama BayStars, going 1-1 with a 1.16 ERA in 12 relief appearances in 2011, but just 2-8 with a 5.32 ERA (though a decent 1.357 WHIP) in 15 starts in 2012. He was originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the 27th Rd. of the 2002 draft as a HS pick from Des Moines, WA.

Mann reached as high as AA in 2009 when he went 7-9 with a 4.44 ERA in 27 appearances (21 starts) with Montgomery. As a MLFA, he hooked on with the L.A. Dodgers in 2010 but was dropped down to High-A and released after 37 games in relief, going 3-0 but posting a 4.12 ERA and a 1.833 WHIP. He was picked up by the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs later that season and made five starts for a 1-2 record and a 5.14 ERA, 1.643 WHIP.

4 Commments

  1. An organizational filler guy. Let’s hope he finds something that thus far has eluded him.

    +1/2St.

  2. Think that he will be a reliever or starter in our system? Seems like there is a need for additional depth in both at the top end of our system.

    1. Seems to be more suited to relief than starting, but as you wrote, the upper levels (AA-AAA) are in need of restocking. Also, as others have noted, a significant number of these FAs will never make it past ST (Waldis Joaquin, we hardly knew ye).

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