"The Nationals announced today that right-hander has been released to pursue an opportunity in Japan. The club's 40-man roster count drops to 39. Mike Rodriguez reported last month that Lao had agreed to a deal with the Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. Per Rodriguez, that deal is for one guaranteed year with a club option for 2027 and could end up paying more than $3MM."
"He became a minor league free agent after 2024 and landed a minor league deal with the Mariners. His track record in the majors is obviously still quite limited but his results in the minors have been good. He tossed 74 2/3 Triple-A innings last year over 25 appearances. 19 of those were technically starts, though mostly in the range of two to four innings. He allowed 3.01 earned runs per nine with a 24.7% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate, both solid figures."
Lao, 26, was released by the Nationals to sign with the Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball on a reported one-year guaranteed deal with a 2027 club option that could pay over $3MM. He debuted in MLB with the Mariners in 2025 and, between Seattle and Washington, threw 11 innings with six earned runs and nine strikeouts. Originally signed by the Dodgers as an infielder in 2015, he converted to pitching in 2023. He posted a 3.01 ERA across 74 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 24.7% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate. He has two option years and only 24 days of MLB service time, making the overseas opportunity a chance for more big-stage work and earnings.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]