A veteran of the game, outfielder Jonny Gomes leaves Major League Baseball (MLB) and is heading to the land of the rising sun, Japan, to continue his baseball career.
Gomes, who last played for the Kansas City Royals that won the 2015 World Series, will suit up for the Rakuten Golden Eagles after agreeing to one-year pact, according to FOX Sports.
The report added that Gomes will receive a guaranteed $2 million and can earn up to $1 million in incentives.
In 13 seasons in the MLB, Gomes played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, and the Royals.
In FOX Sports' report, the 35-year-old outfielder discussed the struggle he had this offseason which led to the decision of playing in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
"This is not how it's supposed to be," Gomes said about the free agency market in the MLB.
"It seems like the players are getting bullied. It's February. These people are human beings. They have families. They've got to make plans," the veteran expressed.
Gomes also stated, "I'm not trying to get back at baseball by any means. But I'm not just going to hang around. What has changed since the end of September? It's not like a guy is hot right now or in a slump."
In the report, Gomes also said it not the last year of his career and he is not thinking about retiring from baseball yet.
Along with the decline in his production and performance, Gomes also did not see action for the Royals in the postseason during their World Series run.
These factors may have affected the chances he had in getting signed by any MLB club in the free agency period.
But Gomes has the chance to resurrect his career and emerge again now that he will play in a new league and environment.
