Ichiro still hoping to continue career in 2018
The legend of Ichiro Suzuki may still have another chapter left to be written.
Ichiro became a free agent when the Miami Marlins declined his 2018 club option earlier this winter, and so far it doesn't appear any teams have come calling. But that doesn't seem to be deterring the future Hall of Famer, who remarked during an appearance in his native Japan this week that he's still searching for work in what would be his 18th major-league season, and 27th as a professional.
"I feel like a big dog at a pet shop that hasn't been sold. Of course, I want to play baseball next year," Ichiro told Kyodo News on Saturday in his hometown of Toyoyama, Japan. "I, too, will do my best."
If big-league offers don't come his way, however, a door could be opened for Ichiro to come full circle and complete his spectacular career back home. When asked about that possibility, the 44-year-old Ichiro hinted the thought may have entered his mind, even if he'd prefer to remain in the United States.
"When you use the word possibility, there are many things ... it means anything is possible as long as it's not zero," he said.
Related: Marlins' Ichiro wants to play until he's 50
Ichiro first moved to the big leagues with the Seattle Mariners in 2001 at age 27, following nine record-setting seasons with Japan's Orix Blue Wave. Despite the late start to his major-league career, he became the 30th member of the 3,000-hit club in 2016. His combined hit totals between the MLB and Japan make him one of only nine players with at least 4,000 professional hits across all levels of baseball.
This past season, he hit .255/.318/.332 in only 236 plate appearances for the Marlins, the majority of which came as a pinch-hitter. Ichiro did reach a few milestones in his limited duty, including passing Rod Carew for the most MLB hits by a foreign-born player and becoming the oldest to start a game in center field; he also nearly broke the single-season record for pinch hits, finishing one shy of the mark with 27.