NPB's Hanshin Tigers sign former Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever
Photo credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Ex-Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever Rafael Dolis signs with Hanshin Tigers of the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan.
According to Yuri Karasawa of Yakyu Cosmopolitan, former Blue Jays reliever Rafael Dolis re-signed with Nippon Professional Baseball's Hanshin Tigers.
The Hanshin Tigers are re-signing RHP Rafael Dolis. The 37-year-old re-joined Hanshin for the 1st time since 2019 this past season. He had a 1.93 ERA / 2.84 FIP with a 21.6 K% and 6.8 BB% in 20 appearances.
Dolis, 37, first joined the Tigers in 2016 after a four-year stint from 2011-14. He made minor league stints with the San Francisco Giants in 2014 and the Detroit Tigers in 2015.
Dolis was signed by the Blue Jays back in 2020 on the heels of a successful four-year campaign in the NPB
The 6'4″ righty signed a one-year guarantee with Toronto on the heels of a strong four-year run for the Tigers.
He fared well in his initial return stateside, working to a 1.50 ERA with a 31% strikeout rate in 24 innings during the truncated 2020 season.
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He walked an alarming 14% of batters faced, but the Blue Jays were nevertheless impressed enough with his swing-and-miss acumen they exercised a cheap $1.5MM option on his services for 2021.
That didn't pan out, as Dolis scuffled leading him to be designated for assignment.
He walked 27 batters in 32 innings with the Blue Jays in 2021, resulting in an ugly 1.75 WHIP.
His new contract with the Tigers signifies he wants to keep pitching despite his advanced age in professional baseball.
Dolis posted a 1.93 ERA and 21.6 strikeout percentage in 18.2 innings in 2025 with the Tigers.
Previously on Blue Jays Central
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 20 | 43 ANSWERS NPB's Hanshin Tigers sign former Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever Do you think Rafael Dolis will ever make it back to MLB? | ||
| Yes | 8 | 18.6 % |
| No | 35 | 81.4 % |
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