OSAKA (Kyodo) The Orix Buffaloes said Monday they have signed infielder Aarom Baldiris on a one-year deal after the Hanshin Tigers released the Venezuelan slugger at the end of the 2009 season.

Baldiris, 26, played for current-Orix manager Akinobu Okada when he joined the Tigers via the so-called player development program in 2008 and was promoted to the 70-man roster the same year in May.

In 2009, he won the batting title in the Western League, part of the Japanese minor leagues, with a .358 average but was limited to just 23 games with one homer on the top team.

The Venezuelan native made it as high as the Triple-A level before coming to Japan.