The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks have signed Netherlands right-hander Rick van den Hurk, the Japan Series champions announced on Friday.
The 29-year-old van den Hurk is coming off two seasons in South Korea with the Samsung Lions. Last season, van den Hurk went 13-4 and led the Korean Baseball Organization in ERA, strikeouts and strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Before going to South Korea, van den Hurk posted an 8-11 record over parts of six big league seasons for the Florida Marlins, Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates.
Yuichi Matsumoto, Softbank's director of baseball operations, told Kyodo News that the 198-cm van den Hurk overhauled his mechanics during his time with the Lions and now gets great extension.