The Hanshin Tigers have acquired Australian right-hander Chris Oxspring, who made his major league debut this year with the San Diego Padres. Oxspring, 28, joined the Central League champions on a one-year contract that will pay $500,000 each for a signing bonus and salary. Oxspring made five relief appearances for the Padres after being called up from Triple-A Portland, where he went 12-6 with a 4.03 ERA in 26 games this year. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, he started for Australia in a semifinal against Japan and got the win.
