I had been wondering what happened to pitcher Victor Marte after the Carp released him... he's in camp with the Royals as a non-roster invitee. Looks like he got a minor league deal.
Marte is a rarity, a Dominican who signed his first pro contract with an NPB team instead of an MLB team. Marte played in the Carp's Dominican Academy before playing most in the Japanese minor leagues the last few years. Ramon Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano are a couple of Carp Academy alums currently playing in the Majors.
