Former Phillie Nick Nelson signs with NPB’s Hanshin Tigers
Nick Nelson has a new home. After spending the last three seasons in the Phillies organization and electing free agency back in October, Nelson is heading to Japan.
The right-handed reliever has agreed to a one-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. Nelson’s agency, Beverly Hill Sports Council, announced the signing on Thursday on Instagram. Nelson will receive $1 million plus incentives, per his agency.
Nelson appeared in five games for the Phillies over the last two seasons. He spent most of 2024 in the minors with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The 29-year-old made 34 appearances for Lehigh Valley last season, including five starts. He finished the minor-league schedule with a 6.13 ERA across 54 1/3 innings.
Most of Nelson’s time with the big-league club came in 2022, when he took on a multi-inning role out of the bullpen. Nelson made 47 appearances that year, finishing 68 2/3 innings with a 4.85 ERA. He made one appearance during the 2022 postseason, tossing a scoreless eighth inning in Game 3 of the World Series.
Nelson, who added a knuckleball to his repertoire in 2024, joins a pair of other recent Phillies depth options to find new homes. Darick Hall and Cristian Pache recently signed with new organizations, too. Hall signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates. Pache signed a minors pact with the Diamondbacks.
MORE FROM PHILLIES NATION
- Darick Hall Reflects On Time In Phillies Organization, Discussed Options In Free Agency
- New Mike Schmidt Documentary Details Complicated Relationship With Phillies Fans
- Dick Allen’s Hall of Fame Election A Reward For Family, Friends Who Continued To Believe
- Three Alec Bohm Thoughts As Trade Rumors Swirl
- Juan Soto To Sign With Mets, Return To NL East
- Will Dick Allen Finally Make The Hall of Fame? Why Those Close To The Late Phillies Slugger Keep Pushing For His Enshrinement
- Key Phillies Offseason Dates To Know
- Both Players Acquired In Gregory Soto Trade Ranked Among Phillies’ Top Ten Prospects
- John Middleton Comments On 2025 Payroll
- Ryan Howard Believes Phillies Can Succeed In 2025 And Beyond: ‘They’ve Got A Little Bit Longer Runway Than We Did’
SUBSCRIBE TO PHILLIES NATION ON YOUTUBE
