The 10-year Japan career of Tuffy Rhodes has apparently come to an end with the announcement last week he had signed a contract with his hometown team, the Cincinnati Reds.
I say "apparently" because you just never know. Rhodes' deal includes a minor league pact with an invitation to the major league camp and, should he not make the National League roster, he would most likely retire at 37 rather than report to the Reds Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, Ky.
In that case, if a Japanese team was to decide in April it needs a guy such as Tuffy, I would not be surprised to see him come back. I can recall writing a "sayonara" column about Leo Gomez after he left the Chunichi Dragons in 2001, only to have him rejoin the Nagoya team after he was cut from the Pittsburgh Pirates camp that spring.