The Chiba Lotte Marines said Friday they have signed a two-year contract worth an estimated $5.2 million with Panamanian slugger Julio Zuleta, whose contract talks with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks broke down recently.
"He'll be a major force in our bid to regain the Japan Series title (the club won in 2005)," Lotte team president Ryuzo Setoyama said at a press conference.
The 31-year-old first baseman led Softbank with 29 homers and 91 RBIs this past season. He has hit 122 homers with 333 RBIs over four years since arriving in Japan.