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John Gant To Sign With NPB’s Nippon-Ham Fighters

By Steve Adams | December 10, 2021 at 1:18pm CDT

Right-hander John Gant has signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball, as first reported by Daily Sports in Japan. The team has not yet formally announced the agreement, but sources confirmed the deal to MLBTR. It’s a one-year contract.

Gant, 29, elected free agency early in the offseason after the Twins passed him through outright waivers. The longtime Cardinals righty landed in Minnesota (alongside minor league lefty Evan Sisk) via the deadline trade that sent J.A. Happ to St. Louis.

The 2021 campaign was something off a mixed bag for Gant. Although he posted a plenty respectable 4.09 ERA in 110 innings, he also logged the second-lowest strikeout rate (18.7%), the highest walk rate (14.5%) and the lowest average fastball velocity (92.4 mph) of his six-year Major League career. He’d have been arbitration-eligible for the final time this winter had the Twins opted to keep him on the 40-man roster.

While Gant has never been a dominant strikeout arm or a pinpoint command specialist,  he still carries a very solid 3.89 ERA through 372 2/3 Major League frames. He was particularly effective out of the St. Louis bullpen from 2019-20, pitching to a combined 3.43 ERA with a near-identical 3.44 FIP through 81 1/3 frames. He fanned 23.6% of his opponents against a 12.4% walk rate during that time, adding a hearty 49% grounder rate as well.

Gant has worked as both a starter and a reliever in his big league career thus far, with a good bit more success in relief than out of the rotation. The Fighters, however, could potentially deploy him in the rotation. Former big leaguers Drew VerHagen and Robbie Erlin both made some starts for the Fighters this past season — the former more effective and more heavily used than the latter — but both became free agents at season’s end. Gant is the second former big leaguer to join the Fighters late this week, as they announced a deal with infielder Arismendy Alcantara earlier today.

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Nippon Professional Baseball Transactions John Gant

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44 Comments

  1. Ducey

    4 years ago

    Do they fight against ham, or do they use ham to fight with?

    8
    Reply
    • JeffreyChungus

      4 years ago

      Nippon Ham is the team’s sponsor. The team is just called the Fighters. No ham is fought/used to fight unfortunately 🙁

      8
      Reply
      • Deadguy

        4 years ago

        “It’d be alot cooler if they did”

        21
        Reply
        • Robertowannabe

          4 years ago

          Maybe they fight over the ham. Players gather around for post game dinner and they throw some hams in the middle of the group. Those that win get to eat 🙂

          3
          Reply
        • barkinghumans77

          4 years ago

          Alright, alright, alright

          1
          Reply
    • Coast1

      4 years ago

      There’s been a lot of speculation on this. They use the ham to fight with.

      Reply
    • FredMcGriff for the HOF

      4 years ago

      The Braves basically turned Gant into Huascar Ynoa via trades. Some of which I wasn’t thrilled about. I guess it worked out though. I always liked Gant and wish him luck. Smart move going overseas and getting paid during this lockout.

      4
      Reply
      • Sid Bream Speed Demon

        4 years ago

        Wrong. They turned Jaime Garcia and Anthony Recker into Ynoa.

        Gant was part of the return one of the times the Braves traded Kelly Johnson to the Mets.

        Reply
        • FredMcGriff for the HOF

          4 years ago

          @sid. Actually I am correct. Dec 1st 2016 Braves trade John
          Gant + Luke Dykstra + Chris Ellis to the Cardinals for Jaime Garcia. July 24th 2017 Braves trade Jaime Garcia + Anthony Recker + cash to the Twins for Huascar Ynoa. baseball-reference.com/players/g/garcija02.shtml. Click on the link go to transactions it confirms it.

          1
          Reply
    • humphrey x boegarts

      4 years ago

      I like to think of them like freedom fighters. But instead of fighting for freedom for all, they took up ham as their cause.

      6
      Reply
    • HawaiiPhil2020

      4 years ago

      I could read that post 100 times and laugh. Thank u

      1
      Reply
      • HawaiiPhil2020

        4 years ago

        Meant for u ducey but also hippy/ fletcher/gozurman

        Reply
  2. letsholdemandgohome

    4 years ago

    Maybe they tried to quit cold turkey and switched to ham

    4
    Reply
  3. JohhnyBets67

    4 years ago

    Thought Gant could find a ML job. He’d have a strong chance to be the orioles #3.

    5
    Reply
    • Deadguy

      4 years ago

      Right, definitely had a chance to sign MLB? Makes you wonder? What’s wrong with America?

      1
      Reply
      • Robertowannabe

        4 years ago

        A lockout??? Guaranteed money sooner than later?

        5
        Reply
      • seanmc1983

        4 years ago

        That’s a loaded question

        Reply
    • Deadguy

      4 years ago

      Oh wait…. I know… it’s looking like maybe there’s not going to be a season cause owners and greed ect ect

      Gee I should have guessed that!

      Reply
  4. baseballpun

    4 years ago

    I guess he doesn’t want to be scrambling in February/March because of the lockout. I would think he would have found a few takers.

    Getting to live in Japan for a year and maybe building up some value is a pretty good plan B though.

    9
    Reply
    • Herc33

      4 years ago

      He probably gets to start out there instead of being a swingman/depth option.

      The numbers are definitely good enough to still play in the MLB but I’d imagine teams want him for the bullpen and then as like a backup option to spot start if needed.

      If he can perform well enough in Japan he can probably lock down a decent sized guaranteed deal to start in the bigs for 2023

      1
      Reply
      • seanmc1983

        4 years ago

        Yup, I could see him being quite good for a year in Japan and parlaying that into a much bigger payday than if he’d stuck around MLB. The lockout probably made the decision a no-brainer vs something we probably would have weighed a bit more under normal circumstances.

        Reply
  5. Sunday Lasagna

    4 years ago

    @baseballpun & @JohhnyBets67, agreed, I get players wanting a guaranteed paycheck vs waiting out the lockout, but in this case, I also think Gant would have found a job. Teams needing a 6th or 7th starter to offset injuries, Phillies, Angels, Rangers, Yankees etc. etc, or a weak team needing a 4th or 5th like the Orioles.

    2
    Reply
    • baseballpun

      4 years ago

      I guess it depends on the money to some extent, and the role. I think he wants to be a starter, and I would imagine that’s what he’ll do in Japan, But I agree, I think he’s an ideal depth guy, who can produce out of the pen and step in capably at the back end of a rotation when you have injuries. He might not want to do that, though.

      1
      Reply
    • allweatherfan

      4 years ago

      Grant will drive a team and fans crazy with his stretches of wildness. His inability to throw strikes at times made you curse at the TV and hope to never see him again. Maybe he can work on that in Japan.

      1
      Reply
      • baseballpun

        4 years ago

        Oh, I’m a Cards fan. I know. But if he were more consistent he’d just be a 4th or 5th starter and not a swing man.

        I do think that swing-man role is important and it’s a tough one to fill, because it’s somebody who isn’t SO valuable as either a starter or reliever that they’re being used in the rotation or in the 8th/9th inning, but who’s still effective enough to contribute wherever you need innings.

        He might very well start to figure it out a little bit more in Japan and come back and lock down a rotation spot somewhere, but he would seem to have value to a number of teams now, which is why the jump is a little surprising (or would be, if not for the lockout).

        1
        Reply
        • JohhnyBets67

          4 years ago

          I meant that comment as a joke about my beloved orioles too.

          But in all seriousness if John Gant signed with the Orioles today—he could potentially be the #2 starter.

          It’s John Means then nothing.

          Jordan Lyles
          Bruce Zimmermann
          Keegan Akin
          Alex Wells
          Dean Kremer
          Zac Lowther

          Not hard to say that Gant would be the #2.

          1
          Reply
  6. scottn59c

    4 years ago

    Who is John Gant?

    1
    Reply
    • baseballpun

      4 years ago

      Ron’s long-lost nephew.

      2
      Reply
    • Triteon

      4 years ago

      I was about to make the same joke

      2
      Reply
    • Coast1

      4 years ago

      At last I shrugged when you asked that question

      2
      Reply
  7. whyhayzee

    4 years ago

    It seems like there’s quite a scramble out of here by the borderline players. I would think there’s a limited amount of spots available. We may run out of stories of this ilk before the lockout ends.

    Reply
  8. bernbabybern

    4 years ago

    Best team name in sports.

    2
    Reply
  9. the outlaw

    4 years ago

    How big are the rosters over there?
    Sheeeesh!

    Reply
  10. Metsin777

    4 years ago

    Don’t see how the Mets werent in on him before the lockout. I mean we had Luchessi, Robert Stock, and Jackofff pitching meaningful games for us last year. Why not get Gant for depth….

    Reply
  11. DarkSide830

    4 years ago

    I still believe the Twins were foolish to let him go.

    1
    Reply
    • HubertHumphrey

      4 years ago

      No kidding! He was decent.

      Reply
  12. 619bird

    4 years ago

    They must have a bigger strike zone in Japan.

    Oh Gant could’ve found work in MLB for sure. So either he’s getting pretty good coin or this is a signal that the lockout might be a little longer than people expect.

    Reply
  13. Louholtz22

    4 years ago

    The more I think about ham, the more hungry I get. Wait, I mean, the more I think about it, I don’t think the season will start on time or potentially will be cancelled. The players signed a horrible deal last time. i.e. Mr Burns offering a dental plan or a keg of beer. I don’t think either side will cave in.

    Reply
  14. dsett75

    4 years ago

    I’m going to start panicking if I ever read that an “everyday Major Leaguer” signs to play overseas. That will mean that ST, and then Opening Day, won’t start on time. Lot of em signing to play over there, but nobody surprising so far. Maybe a rush of signings to play overseas like this happens every offseason and I just hadn’t noticed?

    1
    Reply
  15. Dunedin020306

    4 years ago

    The way Gant pitched sometimes last season the team he plays on should be called the Ham Fisteds, not the Ham Fighters.

    ham-fisted, an informal ADJECTIVE -clumsy or bungling; ham-handed, as in “a ham-fisted attempt”

    synonyms:: clumsy · bungling · incompetent · amateurish · inept · unskillful · inexpert · maladroit · gauche · awkward · inefficient · bumbling · useless · unhandy · all thumbs · all fingers and thumbs · ham-handed

    Reply
  16. Peart of the game

    4 years ago

    I would not recommend Gant over either VerHagen or Erlin

    Reply
  17. Ron Tingley

    4 years ago

    What the? There must be something going on with his arm. This dude has had solid mlb success. Pitchers go over seas bc they either haven’t got their chance or they have stunk in a short time. This has guy been neither. Maybe the lock out? Maybe he wants to live like a long haired God for a year.

    Reply
  18. Louholtz22

    4 years ago

    Guaranteed cash and ham for Gant. Prolly trying to parlay a good year over there for a 2 or 3 year deal in MLB. He wasn’t gonna land much here.

    Reply
  19. nentwigs

    4 years ago

    MISSED IT BY THAT [ = ] MUCH !!
    According to informed sources, The Marlins were in on John Gant right up until he signed the deal to join the Ham Fighters.. The Marlins made a “strong” offer, but not one that matched the Ham Fighters’ financial commitment. The Marlins weren’t the only team to be outbid.
    The Minnesota Twins had also been linked to Gant.

    Reply

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