Tomohiro Kuroki, once the Lotte Marines' ace pitcher, announced his retirement Wednesday after receiving no offers from other teams.
"In the end, I only had two options — wait for offers indefinitely or retire. I don't regret my decision," Kuroki said at a press conference in Tokyo.
The 33-year-old right-hander had been released by the Marines, who left him out of their plans for next season.
Kuroki, Lotte's second-round pick in the 1994 amateur draft, spent all of his 13-year career with the Pacific League club. He recorded double-digit wins in five consecutive seasons through 2001 before missing all of the 2002 and 2003 seasons with shoulder and elbow injuries.