Hiroki Kuroda to Japan: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

Hiroki Kuroda has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Professional Baseball League.

Sports Illustrated translated Daisuke Sugiura of Yahoo Japan's original report:

According to Japanese reports shared by Sugiura, Kuroda will return to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. He spent 10 seasons from 1997-2007 with the Carp before jumping to the majors and signing with the Dodgers.

Kuroda has been a stable presence in the New York Yankees' starting rotation for the last three years after emerging as a 200-inning pitcher in his final two seasons with Los Angeles. He's made at least 31 starts and thrown at least 196.1 innings every year since 2010. 

Coming off a strong 2014 campaign with the Yankees—in which he posted a 3.71 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 199 innings—Kuroda told Erik Boland of Newsday in late September that he was keeping all of his options for next year open.     

"Right now, I'm relieved that I don't have to think about the next outing," Kuroda said. "To think about next year is something I cannot do right now."

At the end of 2014, Kuroda told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com through an interpreter that he spoke with Andy Pettitte about his future and holding up over a long season at the age of 40.

"Before the game yesterday, we talked about Andy's last outing last year in Houston," he said. "One thing I can say is, the fact that I was able to stay in the rotation the full year without getting injured, that's one thing I can say that fulfilled me."

Despite a pedestrian 11-9 win-loss record last year, Kuroda was often a hard-luck loser in those games. Per Katie Sharp of ESPN, the right-hander couldn't buy a win in games when he pitched at least seven innings and allowed three or fewer runs:

Kuroda hasn't gotten the credit he deserves throughout his career. He's never had gaudy strikeout numbers or led the league in ERA, yet the stats at the end of every season have always been strong.

Going back to where it all started is something that often appeals to veteran athletes, and Kuroda decided that rejoining the Carp was the best choice at this point in his career. With that decision, major league teams lost out on a potentially valuable back-of-the-rotation pitcher.

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