Pitcher Randy Messenger has agreed to a three-year deal to remain with Japan's Hanshin Tigers, ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets. Messenger has pitched in Japan for the last four seasons, and he posted a 2.89 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 196 1/3 innings in 2013. He last pitched in the big leagues with the Mariners in 2009.
Messenger has pitched well in three straight years in Japan, so he appeared to be a strong candidate to return to the Major Leagues, should he have chosen to go that route. He had previously set a November 15 deadline for MLB teams to submit offers. Messenger was reportedly searching for a two-year MLB deal in the $8MM-$10MM range.
