The Japanese and Korean professional baseball systems have always been an option for big league veterans who can’t seem to get the consistent playing time that they desire, or young players fed up with the minor-league grind. They can go over to play in front of huge crowds, and secure themselves large contracts and sponsorship deals.
Sometimes it’s former MLB stars that just want a couple more seasons of baseball at the end of their careers, and see Asia as an adventurous last chapter in their baseball story. Take Andruw Jones, he of the 434 MLB home runs, 10 consecutive gold gloves and 5 all-star appearances. Jones was an excellent Major League player, if slightly removed from the hall-of-fame trajectory shown early in his career.
After 2012 the Yankees’ decided not to re-sign the aging star, and Jones decided to try Japan. He played two seasons for the Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Japanese Pacific League, winning the Japan Series (the World Series equivalent) in his first season, and hitting 50 home runs over the two years. Jones tried an MLB comeback after finding so much success in Japan, but wouldn’t be offered a contract and retired this January.
Other players go to Asia to rebuild some value, and show teams that given playing time they can be productive hitters. Cecil Fielder and Julio Franco both spent time overseas in the middle of their careers, and more recently Ryan Vogelsong played three seasons in Japan before returning to win two World Series rings with the San Francisco Giants. Vogelsong is still pitching in the majors after signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason.
Here are five of the top former MLB players currently playing in Japanese or Korean baseball leagues:
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