Daisuke Matsuzaka signs with Japan’s Fukuoka Softbank Hawks

As expected Daisuke Matsuzaka is going back home to Japan, likely closing the book on his career in MLB.

The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks announced on Thursday that they were signing the 34-year-old right-hander. Earlier this offseason there were reports out of Japan that the reigning Nippon Professional Baseball champions had offered Matsuzaka a four-year deal.

It’s a quiet exit for a pitcher that arrived to North America which such dizzying expectations.

Between his posting fee and first contract, Matsuzaka cost the Boston Red Sox over $100 million to bring over in 2006. At the time he was just 26 and already a Japanese baseball legend.

It was his performance at the 2006 World Baseball Classic that introduced him to the rest of the world, winning MVP as he led his country to the title. He also won the WBC MVP in 2009 as Japan defend their crown, but he never came close to replicating that sort of dominance over any sustained period in the big leagues.

In all he spent eight seasons in the majors, six with Boston and the last two with the New York Mets. His career numbers are middling, a 56-43 record with a 4.45 ERA and fWAR of 10.5.

It’s easy to forget that Matsuzaka got off to a fairly good start in his first couple seasons. He made four postseason starts for the Red Sox in 2007 as they went on to win the World Series. His best season in Boston came in 2008 when he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA and finished 4th in AL Cy Young voting.

After that, Matsuzaka struggled with injury – he spent much time on the DL in 2009 and 2010 and missed most of 2011 following Tommy John surgery – and was never the same pitcher again.

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