Ichiro Suzuki is open to a return to Japan if he is unable to land a job with an MLB team.
Ichiro became a free agent after the Miami Marlins bought him out of his contract following the season. His agent had hopes of something coming through with the Seattle Mariners or San Diego Padres, but both teams have moved on.
MLB.com’s Barry M. Bloom spoke with Ichiro’s agent John Boggs for a story published on Tuesday, and Boggs said the possibility of Ichiro returning to Japan if nothing comes through in MLB exists.
“I don’t really like to think about that,” Boggs told MLB.com. “As every day goes by, I keep holding out hope that somebody will realize that he would be a tremendous asset for any organization.”
The market is moving slowly, with outfielders such as JD Martinez, Lorenzo Cain and Carlos Gonzalez still available. Ichiro has been told by teams to continue checking in, so he should not be counted out yet. But he may have to continue waiting.
The 44-year-old batted .255 in 196 at-bats last season for the Marlins. He has previously said he wants to play until he is 50.
