One former New York Yankee is joining Nippon Professional Baseball. Former Yankees slugger Rougned Odor has moved around in recent years and is now supposedly signed with the NPB’s Yomiuri Giants, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. “(Rougned) Odor is signing with the Yomiuri Giants,” Heyman stated.
Odor made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers in 2014, and he spent the first seven years of his career there. The 29-year-old was once one of baseball’s best hitters at second base. He hit 33 home runs in 2016, and added 30 more in 2017. He had a bad year in 2018, but he hit 30 more homers in 2019.
He has moved around the league after leaving the Rangers following the 2020 season. Odor spent the 2021 season with the Yankees, 2022 with the Baltimore Orioles, and 2023 with the San Diego Padres.
The 29-year-old has struggled to find his feet, and while his bat still has some power, he strikes out frequently and does not consistently reach base. He is only 29 years old, so if he performs well for the Giants, he may return to Major League Baseball at some point.
He will most likely be given a solid shot with the Giants, so he hopes to get back on track and excel. In ten seasons, he hit 178 home runs and drove in 568 runs.
