Jon Duplantier Signs With NPB's Yokohama BayStars

"A former highly-regarded prospect with the Diamondbacks, Duplantier was set back by injuries. He wound up making just 19 appearances between 2019-21. A lat strain led Arizona to drop him from the 40-man roster midway through the 2021 season. The Rice product subsequently bounced around on minor league contracts with Arizona, San Francisco, Philadelphia, the Mets, Dodgers and Milwaukee without getting to the majors. The Brewers granted him his release to pursue an NPB opportunity last year."

"Duplantier's first season in Japan could hardly have gone better from a performance perspective. He struck out 32.4% of opponents against a 5.7% walk rate while working to a 1.39 earned run average. Health was again the caveat, as he was limited to 15 starts and 90 2/3 innings by a lower body injury. His numbers were impressive enough that there was some thought he could return stateside."

Jon Duplantier signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and will remain in Japan for a second NPB season after spending the '25 campaign with the Hanshin Tigers. He was a highly regarded Diamondbacks prospect whose career was set back by injuries, including a lat strain that led to removal from the 40-man roster in 2021. Duplantier bounced among several organizations on minor league deals before being released to pursue an NPB opportunity. In Japan he posted a 32.4% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and a 1.39 ERA but was limited to 15 starts and 90 2/3 innings by a lower-body injury. A full season near that level could position him for a big-league contract next offseason.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors