The Hiroshima Carp have signed utility infielder Ramiro Pena to a one-year contract, the Central League club announced Thursday.
The 31-year-old Pena played in 30 games last season for the San Francisco Giants, and has 701 plate appearances over seven big league seasons with a .252 batting average. In November, he started at shortstop for Mexico in two exhibition games against Samurai Japan at Tokyo Dome.
He went 3-for-9 with a double, and also hit a home run off Carp right-hander Yusuke Nomura, his new teammate.
The switch hitter's deal is reportedly worth $650,000 (roughly ¥73.4 million) with additional incentives.