Chunichi Dragons general manager Kazumasa Ito said Saturday the Central League club will not re-sign with right-hander Mel Bunch, who returned to the United States in August to undergo tests on his heart.
Bunch, whose contract with Chunichi expired Thursday, did not come back to Japan during the season and finished with a 7-7 record and 3.27 ERA in 17 starts in his third year in Japanese baseball.
The 30-year-old was hospitalized due to an irregular pulse after complaining of dizziness hours before his scheduled start on Aug. 5. Club sources said he has been suffering from the same problem since returning to the United States.