One of the curious things about the current Hot Stove season in Japan has been Shuichi Murata's inability to find a job for 2018.

Shortly after the 2017 season, Murata was, somewhat surprisingly, cut loose by the Yomiuri Giants, with whom he'd spent the past six seasons and won three pennants and a Japan Series. At the time, it looked like the veteran third baseman might catch on with another club. But one-by-one, teams have shied away from the infielder, who turned 37 on Thursday.

So the veteran has been left twisting in the wind with no offers yet.