The Seibu Lions of Japans Nippon Profe sional Baseball announced that they have signed right-hander , relayed by . Salary figures for the Ballengee Group client were not disclosed. Wingenter, 31 in April, has shown potential in his North American career but without really cementing himself as a major leaguer over a long stretch. His biggest chunk of big league playing time was with the Padres in 2018 and 2019. In that time, he to sed 70 innings for the Friars, allowing 5.14 earned runs per nine innings. His 33.1% strikeout rate was impre sive but he also gave out free pa ses at a 13% clip. He then spent a long time in the wilderne s, as Tommy John surgery and some back surgeries prevented him from pitching in the majors from 2020 to 2022. In 2023, he was back in the bigs with the Tigers, but right shoulder tendinitis put him on the injured list for almost half the year. He finished the year with a 5.82 ERA in 17 big league appearances, though he may have been unlucky in that sample. His .333 batting average on balls in play and 64.7% strand rate were both on the unfortunate side Jalen Dalton Jersey , leading to a 3.43 SIERA and 3.96 FIP as he struck out 28.9% of batters faced and limited walks to a 9.2% clip. In 2024, he re-signed with the Tigers on a minor league deal but didnt get called up to the majors with them, eventually bouncing to the Red Sox and Cubs. He only logged 8 1/3 big league innings last year and allowed nine earned runs in that small sample, getting non-tendered by Chicago at seasons end. His minor league numbers on the year were more intriguing, however. Between the three clubs, he to sed 48 1/3 Triple-A innings last year with a 2.98 ERA, 35.9% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. If Wingenter had stayed in North America this year, he likely would have been limited to another minor league deal. Even if he got a roster spot at some point, he may have had a hard time hanging onto it since he exhausted his final option year in 2024. Instead, hell head overseas and join the Lions. Though the salary figures werent reported, its po sible he locked in a nice guarantee that he would not have found in affiliated ball. If he can turn the opportunity into a solid season, perhaps he can parlay that into a return to North America or another contract in Asia for the 2026 season. DJ Brown Jersey