Veteran outfielder Yoshitomo Tani, who has been released by the Yomiuri Giants, will join the Orix Buffaloes in 2014, the Pacific League club said Tuesday.
The 40-year-old Tani makes his way back to his former club after a seven-year stint with Japan's most storied franchise. Tani, who needs 79 hits to reach his 2,000-hit milestone, is scheduled to speak at a news conference on Dec. 26.
The husband of former two-time Olympic judo champion and current politician Ryoko Tani, Tani began his career with Orix in 1997 after being selected in the second round of the draft. Back in 2003, he won the PL title for most hits with 189.