Foster Griffin went to Japan three years ago not because he envisioned it would get him back to the major leagues eventually, but because at the time it was the only place that offered him a chance to be a starting pitcher.

Having bounced back and forth between Triple-A, Kansas City and Toronto while making seven MLB appearances in relief from 2020-22, the left-hander saw an appealing opportunity with the Yomiuri Giants. And once he got the blessing from his then-pregnant wife, he made the move across the Pacific and hoped for the best.

Three highly successful years later, Griffin found himself Tuesday talking about his latest opportunity: Becoming a member of the Nationals’ 2026 rotation after signing a one-year, $5.5 million contract. It’s an opportunity he couldn’t have realistically foreseen when he first left for Japan.

“It’s tough so far to wrap my head around it, to be honest with you,” he said in a Zoom session with reporters. “You hear about some guys going to Japan and coming back and getting deals. But to be honest with you, that was never at the front of my mind when I left. I just wanted to go out there and re-establish myself as a starter. I kind of feel like I got this second chance at baseball in my career, by getting the opportunity to go to Japan.”

In their quest to add some much needed experience to an otherwise young rotation, the Nationals turned their sights to Tokyo. Not for a native Japanese pitcher, but for an American-born, former first round pick who indeed resurrected his career in unexpected fashion.

The first free agent signed by the Nationals’ new front office is a former first-round pick who went to Japan to resurrect his pitching career.

The Nats are in agreement with left-hander Foster Griffin on a one-year contract that guarantees $5.5 million plus incentives, a source familiar with the terms confirmed. The deal, which was first reported by FanSided.com, is contingent on the 30-year-old passing a physical.

It’s a bit of an unconventional first foray into free agency for new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, though one that has become increasingly popular among other organizations willing to take a modest financial risk on former big leaguers who parlay success in Asia into major league offers.

Originally the 28th-overall pick of the 2014 Draft by the Royals, Griffin made his major league debut in 2020 and has made seven total big league appearances with Kansas City and Toronto, allowing six earned runs in eight innings. Released by the Blue Jays in November 2022, the 6-foot-3 southpaw then signed with the Yomiuri Giants and turned his career around.

In three seasons pitching in Japan, Griffin went 18-10 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.033 WHIP, working as a starter. The lefty peaked this summer, going 6-1 with a 1.62 ERA, 0.949 WHIP and 77 strikeouts in 78 innings, earning an NPB All-Star selection before being sidelined by a leg injury.

Why did it take 20 years for the Nationals to sign their first free agent from Asia?

“That market is a market that is built on relationships,” general manager Mike Rizzo said. “You can’t go down there and just pick and choose a guy you want to scout and try and sign him. That market, I dabbled in it when I was with Arizona a few times. And here, we’ve tried at several Asian players. And it’s just … you’re always on the outside looking in, because you don’t have the network there, the groundwork there, that you need to have to create these relationships.”

The Nats finally broke through Friday when they signed Shinnosuke Ogasawara to a two-year, $3.5 million deal (plus a $700,000 posting fee to the Chunichi Dragons). The Japanese left-hander thus became the first free agent to ink a deal with this franchise directly from Asia, a long-awaited development some thought might never come to fruition.

Three Asian-born players have appeared in games for the Nationals over the last two decades, but all joined the club after playing professionally for other major league organizations.

Japan’s Tomo Ohka originally signed with the Red Sox in 2001 before getting traded to the Expos in 2004 for Ugueth Urbina and ultimately making nine starts for the Nats in 2005.

Shinnosuke Ogasawara isn’t the first Japanese player Mike Rizzo has scouted, or even attempted to sign. The Nationals have been trying to make inroads in Asia for years but, according to Rizzo, had been unsuccessful at building the kind of meaningful relationships needed to seal the deal.

How did they finally break through and get Ogasawara to agree to a two-year, $3.5 million contract, the club’s first acquisition of a free agent from Asia? Thanks to the combination of the 27-year-old left-hander’s status and availability, and the fact Rizzo and the Nats did in this case have an established relationship with his agents.

“With this particular player, we liked the skillset,” Rizzo said. “We liked (that) the age fits our timeline, that type of thing. And in this particular case, we did have a relationship with the agency. And that made us more attractive for him to choose us, rather than some other team this time.”

Ogasawara is represented by WME Sports, including agent Bryan Minniti, who just so happened to be Rizzo’s assistant general manager with the Nationals from 2010-14. Thanks to that connection, the Nats were able to get through the front door, meet with Ogasawara and pitch him on the idea of coming to Washington.

Part of that pitch was the promise of a shot at making an Opening Day rotation that suddenly looks more crowded than most expected. The Nationals have already signed veteran free agents Michael Soroka and Trevor Williams this winter, with each right-hander saying he expects to start for the team. They join holdovers MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin, plus promising young lefties DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker. And with 2020 first-round pick Cade Cavalli potentially ready to return from injury at some point, and 2024 Opening Day starter Josiah Gray targeting a return from elbow surgery before season’s end, club officials are likely to have some decisions to make this spring.

For the first time in club history, the Nationals have signed a player directly from Asia, announcing today a two-year deal with Japanese left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara.

Ogasawara was an All-Star for the Chunichi Dragons in 2023 and posted a 3.12 ERA over 144 1/3 innings last season, his ninth in Nippon Professional Baseball. The 27-year-old is not known for high strikeout totals (only 82 last season) but has proven to be an extreme strike-thrower and groundball specialist, issuing only 22 walks while allowing only nine homers.

Financial terms of the contract weren’t immediately clear, but it is a major league deal, putting Ogasawara on the Nationals’ 40-man roster. To clear space for him, the club designated left-hander Joe La Sorsa for assignment.

Though he was not as highly touted as some other recent Japanese pitchers, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki, both high-profile additions by the Dodgers, Ogasawara did draw interest from a number of major league franchises. The posting deadline to sign him was today, adding some urgency to the Nats’ pursuit. Had he not signed with anyone by the end of the day, he would have gone back to the Dragons for another season.

It remains to be seen how the Nationals intend to utilize Ogasawara. Though he's been starter throughout his career in Japan, American scouting reports have suggested he could be more effective as a reliever if he can’t make it as a back-of-the-rotation arm. The team has already signed two free agents this winter, Michael Soroka and Trevor Williams, who were under the impression they’ll be starting to begin the season. MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin are locks to lead the staff after their performances in 2024. Young lefties DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker should also be in the mix this spring.