Rays sign Japanese righty Uwasawa to minors deal

The Tampa Bay Rays signed Japanese right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training, the team announced Thursday.

The 29-year-old has played 11 years in NPB, all with the Nippon-Ham Fighters. Over 225 games, Uwasawa has authored a 3.42 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 1,367 1/3 innings.

He is coming off a season during which he made 24 starts, posting a 3.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 170 innings.

"I'm excited to join the Rays organization and grateful for the opportunity to begin a career in Major League Baseball," Uwasawa said in a statement. "I decided to play for the Rays because the success and the rich history of pitching development really intrigued me."

Financial terms of the deal were not made available.