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By Nelson Espinal
Contributing Sports Reporter
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Left-handed pitcher Foster Griffin, who has been out of MLB for three years, is eyeing a return to the states and wants another chance with a major league team.
Griffin pitched in seven games for a total of eight innings, putting up a 6.75 ERA with the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays during the 2020 and 2022 seasons, respectively.
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He left for Japan in 2023, hoping to revitalize his career, and all three seasons have been a success. He signed a deal with the Yomiuri Giants at the age of 28.
Griffin pitched 315.2 innings in 54 games, ending up with a 2.57 ERA. His strikeout rate was 25.07 percent, and he limited free bases with a 5.52 percent walk rate.
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In 2022, Griffin transitioned from a starting pitcher to a bullpen arm, hoping that the change could lead to a better career trajectory. In Japan, however, he moved back into a starting role, seemingly hoping to reassert himself as a high-volume pitcher.
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His first year with the Giants went so well that he signed an extension, a rare occurrence for foreign players who play in Japan.
According to The New York Post's Jon Heyman, after his contract ends, Griffin is looking for a job with an MLB team.
Back in July, MLB insider Robert Murray stated that teams noticed how well Griffin was doing.
Considering how well pitchers like Merrill Kelly and Erick Fedde have performed since taking a break from the majors and heading overseas to rebuild, teams should be more accepting of Griffin's journey and trust his results more than in years past.
Kelly left the States for Korea, where he pitched well enough to secure a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks upon his return. He has now settled into a prominent rotation spot for the team.
There is no way to tell how Griffin's MLB return will go, but he certainly gave himself a real opportunity to make his dream a reality.
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