Phillies Sign Former Starter to Minor-League Deal

The Philadelphia Phillies signed one of their former draft picks as he attempts to reclaim his Major League career after spending seven years in Asia.

The Phillies signed David Buchanan to a minor-league deal, per the MLB Transaction wire, bringing him back to the franchise where he broke into the Majors in 2014.

He was also a sixth-round pick for the Phillies in 2010 out of Georgia State.

Buchanan will join the Phillies in spring training in Clearwater, Fla., this week.

After the Phillies designated him for assignment in late 2016, Buchanan signed with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball.

He spent three years with the Swallows before he signed as a free agent with the Samsung Lions in the Korean Baseball Organization.

With Samsung he became one of the best pitchers in the KBO. In 2021 he tied for the league-high in wins with 16 and set franchise records for wins and innings pitched by a foreign player. He was a KBO All-Star in both 2022 and 2023, as he played last season on a deal that paid him $1.6 million.

When Buchanan made the Phillies in 2014 he was used as a starter. He went 6-8 with a 3.75 ERA in 20 starts, as he struck out 71 in 117.2 innings. He also walked 32.

He wasn’t able to sustain that in 2015. He went 2-9 in 15 starts and saw his ERA swell to 6.99. He struck out just 44 in 72.2 innings.

In 2016 he spent the entire season with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate in Lehigh Valley before he was designated for assignment.