Drew Anderson signs minor-league contract with Detroit Tigers after two seasons in Japan

Drew Anderson spent the past two seasons in Japan.

The 29-year-old has signed a minor-league contract with the Detroit Tigers in search of returning to MLB for the first time since 2021. His agreement includes a non-roster invitation to big-league spring training, according to a source with knowledge of the agreement.

Anderson, a right-handed reliever throughout his limited time in the big leagues, pitched for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan in 2022 and 2023.

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With the Carp, Anderson posted a 2.78 ERA with 54 walks (8.5% walk rate) and 146 strikeouts (22.9% strikeout rate) across 155⅔ innings in the 2022-23 seasons, spanning 46 games.

He worked as a multi-inning reliever in 2023, logging a 1.88 ERA with 26 walks and 66 strikeouts across 67 innings in 29 appearances.

Anderson, who turns 30 in late March, began his professional career with the Philadelphia Phillies, selected in the 21st round of the 2012 draft out of Galena High School in Reno, Nevada.

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He missed the 2015 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, then dominated as a starter in back-to-back seasons, leading to his MLB debut as a reliever in 2017. He pitched in nine games total for the Phillies in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 seasons, spending most of those years in Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Anderson latched on with the Chicago White Sox in 2020 and Texas Rangers in 2021.

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He only pitched in one game for the White Sox, but he appeared in a career-high nine games for the Rangers in 2021 and registered a 3.27 ERA with six walks and nine strikeouts across 22 innings. He also had a 3.06 ERA across 70⅔ innings in 15 games (12 starts) with Triple-A Round Rock in 2021.

That year, Anderson threw a 92.5 mph four-seam fastball, 83.9 mph slider, 77.2 mph curveball and 86.6 mph changeup during his 22-inning stint with the Rangers.

The Rangers needed Anderson in the big leagues after trading three pitchers at the trade deadline, but following the 2021 season, he was released by the Rangers so he could sign with Hiroshima.

The Tigers signed Anderson — and invited him to spring training — because of his success in Japan. His WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched) went from 1.139 as a starter in 2022 to 1.015 as a reliever in 2023.

The hits per nine innings got better, from 7.4 to 5.6, over his two seasons in Japan, although the walks per nine innings got worse, from 2.8 to 3.5.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Drew Anderson signs minor-league contract with Detroit Tigers