Veteran Orix Buffaloes right-hander Masato Yoshii has been traded to the Chiba Lotte Marines for infielder Koji Hirashita, the Pacific League clubs announced Thursday. Yoshii will reunite with manager Bobby Valentine, who the 42-year-old played with at the New York Mets during his five-year major league career that also included stints with the Colorado Rockies and Montreal Expos. Yoshii began his professional career in 1984 with the Kintetsu Buffaloes and also played with the Yakult Swallows before signing with the Mets after the 1997 season.
