Kansas City, Mo. ? Hideo Nomo is getting another shot at pitching in America. The Japanese right-hander agreed to a minor-league contract with the Kansas City Royals and was invited to spring training next month. The 39-year-old hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2005 and made seven starts in the Venezuelan Winter League in 2006.

“He’s been a successful major-league pitcher in the past, and we wanted to give him an opportunity to compete for a job,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said Friday.

Nomo, who has had a history of shoulder problems, could fill a spot in the rotation or as a reliever. An added benefit would be mentoring Yasuhiko Yabuta.

If he is added to the major-league roster, Nomo would get a $600,000, one-year contract and have the chance to earn $100,000 in performance bonuses.

With a somewhat quirky delivery, the former Kintetsu Buffaloes ace made a big impression when arrived in the United States in 1995, going 13-6 with a 2.54 earned-run average with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was picked for the All-Star game and was voted NL Rookie of the Year.

He pitched the first – and still only – no-hitter in the history of Colorado’s Coors Field in 1996 and threw another no-hitter against Baltimore while pitching for Boston in 2001.

Nomo was traded to the New York Mets in 1998 and moved on to Milwaukee, Detroit and Boston before returning to the Dodgers, where he went 32-19 from 2002-03. He went 4-11 with an 8.25 ERA in 18 starts with Los Angeles in 2004 before undergoing shoulder surgery, then returned in 2005 with Tampa Bay, going 5-8 in 19 starts.

Nomo is 123-109 with a 4.21 ERA in 320 career appearances.