The Pirates' Chan Ho Park will join the Orix Buffaloes in Japan, the Yonhap News Agency reports. It isn't that surprising to see Park return to Asia, but it is a little strange that he would end up in Japan - Park said earlier this offseason that he would like to finish his career in his native Korea.
↵Park leaves the U.S. with the record for most major-league wins by an Asian-born pitcher. After a good first several years of his career with the Dodgers, Park signed a big contract with the Texas Rangers and quickly became a punchline, as decline and the difficulties of pitching in the hitter's haven in Arlington both hurt him in a big way. Park eventually remade himself into a reliever and had somewhat more success, pitching well enough to helpful in many of the last several years of his career. He pitched 28.1 innings for the Pirates last year.
↵UPDATE: A reader sent me an email to tell me that Park's wife grew up in Japan, so that's a possible reason he might go there.