Arlington (105.3 The Fan) – The Texas Rangers have signed Japanese free agent pitcher Yoshinori Tateyama to a one-year contract with a pair of club options.

Tateyama, who will turn 35 on December 26, spent his entire Japanese career with Hokkaido and has compiled a 3.43 earned run average in 438 appearances, mostly as a reliever.

The side-arming right-hander was 1-2 with four saves and a career-low 1.80 ERA in 58 games last season. Opposing right-handed hitters batted just .186 against him. He also struck out 59 and walked only 11 in 55 innings.

Tateyama would become just the fourth Japanese player to appear in a game for Texas, joining Hideki Irabu (2002), Akinori Otsuka (2006-07) and Kazuo Fukumori (2008).