Right-hander Shigetoshi Hasegawa has ended his 15-year playing career split between both sides of the Pacific Ocean, his management office, Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., announced Monday.
Hasegawa, 37, decided to retire after the Seattle Mariners declined a club option on his contract in November after the reliever went 1-3 with a 4.19 ERA in 46 games last season.
"I received offers from teams in both Japan and the major leagues but I made up my mind to retire, thinking that I won't be able to be an important part of a team unless I can pitch in perfect shape both physically and mentally," Hasegawa said in a written comment.
"It has become difficult for me to remain motivated on the mound."
Hasegawa joined the Orix BlueWave from Ritsumeikan University in 1991 as a first-round draft pick and was named the Pacific League Rookie of the Year with a 12-9 record with one save that year.
After posting a 57-45 record with four saves with Orix, Hasegawa signed with the Anaheim Angels in January 1997 and became the third Japanese pitcher to pick up a win in the major leagues, joining in the footsteps of Masanori Murakami and Hideo Nomo.
Hasegawa moved to the Seattle Mariners in 2002.
He had a 45-43 career record in 517 games with 33 saves and a 3.70 ERA over nine years in the majors.