Chris Oxspring NEWS

Chris Andrew Oxspring (born May 13, 1977 in Ipswich, Australia) is an Australian right-handed pitcher currently in the Detroit Tigers organization. He joined the Hanshin Tigers in Japan the for the 2006 season. On December 15, 2006, Oxspring signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. On July 10, 2007, his contract with the Brewers was sold to the LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization just one day before serving as the Pacific Coast League's starting pitcher in the 2007 Triple-A All-Star Game. He was a star for Australia in the 2004 Olympics, pitching 2-0 with wins both against Japan.On December, 8, 2010 Oxspring signed a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training with the Detroit Tigers.

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Oxspring signs Minor League deal with Tigers
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 12/08/10 7:46 PM EST

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Once again, the Tigers have tapped their Far East scouting efforts to bring back a former Major League pitcher. They signed Australian right-hander Chris Oxspring to a Minor League contract with a chance to potentially compete for a job in Spring Training.

The 33-year-old Oxspring is the second Australian pitcher in as many years to jump from pro ball in the Far East to a contract with Detroit. Brad Thomas signed a Major League deal last winter and spent the entire season on the Tigers' pitching staff. Coincidentally, they're teammates this winter in the Australian Baseball League on the Sydney Blue Sox, for whom Oxspring is also the pitching coach.

Compared to Thomas, though, Oxspring's big league resume is much less extensive. He made five appearances in the Major Leagues for the Padres in 2005 and has been trying to work his way back ever since. After spending the 2006 season with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan, Oxspring made it back to the States on a Minor League deal with the Brewers and spent half a season in Triple-A ball before Milwaukee sold his contract to the LG Twins of the Korean Baseball Organization.

Oxspring has been playing in Korea ever since. According to an article two weeks ago in The Queensland Times, Thomas took part in the fledgling league in Australia as part of his rehab from reconstructive elbow surgery.

"He's a guy that we're bringing to big league camp that we think might compete for a spot, but could also give us protection pitching in Triple-A," Tigers president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said.

Combined with the signing of Fu-Te Ni two winters ago, the deals are part of a bigger effort in the Far East to find talent that can contribute right away. What was once a very small part of the Tigers' scouting ranks has become a bigger priority in recent years with help from international operations director Tom Moore and vice president/special assistant David Chadd.

"We grew our operation there over the last few years," Dombrowski said. "We really sat down five years ago and discussed the growth when David Chadd came in and joined us, and where we were going to go with our scouting, and how we were going to grow it, talking about our Latin American and international operations. So we started having the thought process there, but it takes a while to build that and bring people on board.

"It takes a while, but I'd say we're definitely signing more players from the Far East. I think we also have a better pulse of what's going on with some of our people that do a real fine job for us. If they make a recommendation, we have confidence in what they're saying."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

01/10/2011 11:15 AM ET
Tigers invite 18 players to Major League Camp

DETROIT - The Detroit Tigers today announced the following 18 players have been invited to major league camp this spring in Lakeland, FL:

____Pitchers____ ___Catchers___ ____Infielders____ _Outfielders_

John Bale	Rob Brantly	Argenis Diaz	Andy Dirks
Enrique Gonzalez	Bryan Holaday	Brandon Douglas	Avisail Garcia
Fu-Te Ni	Patrick Leyland	Scott Thorman	Ben Guez
Chris Oxspring	John Murrian
Adam Wilk	Omir Santos
Brendan Wise	Max St. Pierre

Additionally, the following staff members will be in uniform at major league camp this spring: Kevin Bradshaw, Ray Burris, George Carlo, Manny Crespo, Chris Cron, Joe DePastino, Leon "Bull" Durham, Toby Harrah, Jerry Martin, Jon Matlack, Phil Nevin, Dave Owen, Brian Peterson, Scott Pickens, Mike Rojas, Gene Roof and A.J. Sager. Additionally, both Willie Horton and Al Kaline will be in uniform this spring. Dustin Campbell, Matt Rankin and Chris McDonald will assist the major league training staff this spring, while Chris Walter and Steve Chase will both once again work with the Tigers strength and conditioning coordinator Javair Gillett.

The first pitchers and catchers work-out in Lakeland will be on February 14, while the first full squad work-out will be on February 19.

A complete roster detailing the non-roster invitees follows this release.

Triple-A reliever Oxspring may leave Tigers
By Jason Beck / MLB.com | 05/16/11 9:02 PM ET

DETROIT -- Triple-A Toledo reliever Chris Oxspring's status in the organization is up in the air pending a potential opportunity to pitch overseas.

Oxspring is expected to be moved somehow to make room for right-handed relief prospect Jose Ortega, who may be activated from the disabled list and rejoin the Mud Hens bullpen as soon as Tuesday.

Oxspring had a 6.53 ERA over 20 2/3 innings of relief, but seven of his 15 earned runs had come in his last two outings. He has pitched only once in the last two weeks, and made another appearance as a pinch-runner for Victor Martinez during his rehab assignment. He spent Spring Training in Major League camp with the Tigers as a non-roster invitee.

Oxspring could return to the Far East; he has pitched in Japan and South Korea in past seasons before undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

• The Toledo Mud Hens granted Chris Oxspring his release, freeing the Australian reliever to pursue other opportunities, here and abroad. Oxspring went on the temporary inactive list while the Tigers explored possibilities of selling his contract abroad, including in Taiwan.