David Buchanan is having a great time in Japan

Remember David Buchanan? The tall, slightly elfin-looking guy who spent several seasons at the back end of one of the Phillies’ 2014-2015 rotation? (You actually might remember him better from his time spent on the DL during those seasons.) He had moments of brilliance, but he was largely a long shot to be more permanent part of the Phillies.

The Phillies designated him for assignment at the end of the 2016 season (which he’d spent entirely in the minors), so he decided to try his luck in Japan. He signed with the Yakult Swallows on a one-year, $750k contract at the end of 2016, and pitched pretty well in 2017. He had a 6-13 record (that’s mostly because the Swallows aren’t, uh, let’s just…