Kazuhisa Makita: Returning to Japan

Makita signed a contract with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan on Tuesday, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Makita signed a two-year, $4 million deal with the Padres in January 2018, but he had a 5.40 ERA over 35 innings during his debut campaign and was designated for assignment after the season. The 35-year-old spent most of the 2019 season at Double-A Amarillo, but he also appeared in eight games for Triple-A El Paso.