BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles have signed Japanese left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada to a $8.15 million, two-year contract. Wada, 30, is expected to enhance a pitching staff that finished last in the majors with a 4.89 ERA.

The contract includes a club option for 2014.

Upon taking over as vice president of baseball operations last month, Dan Duquette promised to make international scouting a priority and improve the pitching staff. Wada becomes the second Japanese native to play for the Orioles, following Koji Uehara.

Wada was 107-61 with a 3.13 ERA and 1,329 strikeouts in 210 career games (207 starts) over nine seasons with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Japanese Pacific League. In his 52 starts over the last two seasons, the lefty went 33-13 with a 2.29 ERA.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)