Motohonda abandons the challenge of MLB and may return to his former team Rakuten, becoming a focal point in the Nippon Professional Baseball free agent market.

Motohonda, a pitcher for the Rakuten Eagles in Nippon Professional Baseball, chose to exercise his overseas free agent rights after the 2025 season to pursue a career in MLB. However, at 35 years old, he did not secure a contract with any Major League team and now hopes to continue playing domestically in Japan next season. This decision has made him a target for several NPB teams looking to strengthen their rosters.

Last November, Motohonda publicly announced his intention to challenge the Major Leagues. There were rumors of contract offers from MLB teams, but no official offer materialized. On October 26 last year, he witnessed firsthand the outstanding performance of Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the second game of the World Series, which deeply inspired him.

Motohonda has accumulated 120 wins and 48 saves over his career and has attracted attention from multiple NPB teams. With spring training starting on February 1, it currently seems more likely that he will remain with his old team, Rakuten.

Motohonda joined Rakuten in 2013 as the second overall draft pick. In his rookie season, he was the opening day starting pitcher, won 15 games that year, and earned the Rookie of the Year award. Alongside Masahiro Tanaka, he formed Rakuten’s “dual ace” duo, and in 2017, he set a NPB record by striking out at least 10 batters in eight consecutive games.

Since 2014, Motohonda led the league in strikeouts for five consecutive years. After transitioning to a relief role in 2024, he won the saves title again. His salary for the 2025 season was 300 million yen.