Phillies news: 5 former players set for overseas KBO season
By Matt Rappa
2. David Buchanan, RHP — KBO Team: Samsung Lions
Drafted by the Phillies in the seventh round of the 2010 draft out of Georgia State University, right-hander David Buchanan rose through the minors before earning a promotion.
Debuting at home on May 24, 2014, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he threw five innings and allowed just two runs on five hits, no walks and two strikeouts en route to the winning decision. Buchanan would finish the season going 5-8 with a respectable 3.75 ERA over his next 19 starts, albeit striking out only 69 batters over 112 2/3 innings.
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The following year, two starts stand out for particular; away on April 13 against the St. Louis Cardinals, he allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. Four months later, away against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he yielded 11 runs over just 1 2/3 innings, the shortest outing of his career.
Buchanan’s final big-league appearance turned out to be the Phillies’ 2015 season finale, home against the Miami Marlins on October 4. In 6 2/3 innings, he allowed just two runs (one earned) en route to the no-decision. His successful final four starts that year (0-1, 2.01 ERA) would earn him another go-around in 2016, however he never reached the majors, appearing in only 27 games with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (19-9, 3.98 ERA).
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On November 23, 2016, the Phillies released the then-27-year-old right-hander, after he made 35 starts with the team between 2014 and 2015 with a combined 5.01 ERA. One month later, he inked a one-year, $750,000 contract with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Central League.
Buchanan, 30, has pitched overseas ever since in Japan, going 22-32 with a 4.13 ERA in 78 appearances and 464 2/3 innings, most of which were starts. This past January, the right-hander opted to join the KBO, signing a one-year, $700,000 pact.