The Orix Buffaloes said Thursday they have signed a one-year, $400,000 contract with former home run king Tuffy Rhodes.
The 38-year-old outfielder, who had a tryout with the Pacific League club at spring training in Okinawa, will return to Japanese baseball for the first time since 2005.
Rhodes revealed that he has decided to wear the No. 8 uniform because former Kintetsu Buffaloes teammate Norihiro Nakamura had that number. Nakamura recently signed a non-roster contract with the Chunichi Dragons after being released by Orix as he refused to accept a 60-percent paycut in a series of offseason talks.