The Yomiuri Giants said Saturday they have signed a two-year, ¥1 billion contract with former Yakult Swallows outfielder Alex Ramirez.
The 33-year-old Ramirez, who was released from the Swallows at the end of the season after talks on a new deal collapsed, will don the No. 5 jersey.
The Venezuela native joined Yakult in 2001 and claimed the home run (40) and RBI titles (124) in 2003. This season, Ramirez set a league record with 204 hits and led the league with 122 RBIs.
"I want to show the Yomiuri staff that they did not make a mistake in choosing me," Ramirez said in a statement.
Yomiuri club representative Hidetoshi Kiyotake said that adding a right-handed power-hitter to the lineup had been one of the club's longtime goals. "With his addition, I feel we have gotten over one hurdle," Kiyotake said.