Former Red Sox Utility Player Signs With Japanese Team

Former Boston Red Sox utility player Marwin Gonzalez will be taking his talents to Nippon Professional Baseball.

The 33-year-old switch hitter will be playing for the Orix Buffaloes, per ESPN via the Associated Press. Gonzalez played for the New York Yankees last season, and he was part of the 2017 Houston Astros team that won the World Series.

Masataka Yoshida played six seasons with the Buffaloes before he signed with the Red Sox this past offseason.

The Japanese club did not provide any contract numbers or other details, but the Venezuelan will wear No. 8 in 2023. He joins fellow Boston pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura, who also signed in the NPB with the Chiba Lotte Marines last month.

Gonzalez played with the Red Sox in the 2021 season. He batted .202 with a .567 OPS in 77 games. He hit two home runs and collected 20 RBIs before Boston designated him for assignment in August of that year. The Astros picked him up for a second stint with the team, and he signed with the Yankees the following free agency.