Infielder Tadahito Iguchi is set to leave the World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies as the team is prepared to place him on waivers, his management company said Thursday.
Unhappy about a backup role with the Phillies, Iguchi has said that he is ready to have talks with any team on both sides of the Pacific Ocean as long as it considers him as a regular player.
Iguchi began the 2008 season with the San Diego Padres but was left out of their future plans after suffering a shoulder injury in June.
In early September, the 33-year-old rejoined the Phillies, where he was not eligible for the postseason roster and finished the season with a combined .232 batting average with two homers and 24 RBIs in 85 games.