Koji Uehara signs one year deal with Yomiuri Giants

Former Boston Red Sox closer Koji Uehara is going to pitch for at least one more year, signing a contract with the Yomiuri Giants for the 2019 season.

Koji Uehara had a solid major league career. After spending a decade in Japan, primarily as a starter, he came stateside becoming an excellent reliever. One of the better setup men for five years, he became the Boston Red Sox closer, a role he excelled in. Uehara made an All Star Game, was a part of the Red Sox World Series winning team in 2013, and continued to pitch well into his 40s.

After a respectable 2017 campaign, he returned to Japan, joining the Yomiuri Giants, the team he starred for prior to coming stateside. At 43 years old last year, it was fair to wonder if Uehara would want to return for another season. However, he put those thoughts to rest, signing another one year deal to remain with the only Nippon Professional Baseball team he has known.

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Despite his age, Uehara had a typically productive year last season. Over his 36 games, covering 34.2 innings, he produced a respectable 3.63 ERA and a 1.067 WHiP. Although his strikeouts were down, as he only set down 24 batters via the K last year, his command remained strong, as he issued just five walks.

His days of closing, and starting for that matter, are far behind him. Likewise, Uehara is not likely to get another major league offer, given his age and durability issues. Yet, he remains a valuable reliever, still capable of getting key outs while serving as a mentor for the younger pitchers on the Giants staff.

Each season also gets Uehara closer to another milestone. If he comes back in 2020 as well, he would become one of the rare players to have a professional career spanning four decades. He got his start with the Giants back in 1999, when he won 20 games while leading the league in strikeouts and ERA en route to being named the Central League Rookie of the Year and winning the Sawamura Award.

Koji Uehara is coming back to the Yomiuri Giants for one more year. Hopefully, this will not be his last.