Foster Griffin

Griffin was a first-round pick by the Royals back in 2014, but he's only managed eight MLB innings to date. The last of those came in 2022, at which point he decided to head overseas in search of more regular opportunities in Japan. Now a 29-year-old free agent, Griffin could look to parlay his two successful seasons in NPB into another shot at an MLB rotation. In two years for the Yomiuri Giants, Griffin recorded a 2.88 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, pairing a 25.1 K% (well above the league average of 18.8%) with a 5.4 BB%. Miles Mikolas and Nick Martinez provide proof that pitchers can go from non-factors at the MLB level to players capable of providing multiple strong seasons after a brief interlude in Japan, so Griffin should be able to find someone willing to take a chance if he decides to return. Martinez's swingman role could be one Griffin seeks to replicate, as his best success stateside came after he moved to relief in 2022 and produced a 2.10 ERA and 27.1 K% at the Triple-A level.