Free agent Yoshitomo Tsutsugo will sign a new deal to stay with the Pittsburgh Pirates next season, his agent Joel Wolfe confirmed Sunday.
The 29-year-old first baseman-outfielder will ink a one-year contract worth $4 million with the Pirates, who finished the 2021 season at the bottom of the National League Central division. He is expected to play primarily at first base next season.
Tsutsugo joined the Pirates last August, reviving his major league career with the club following unsuccessful stints with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In 43 games with the Pirates, the left-handed slugger batted .268 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs.
In his 132-game major league career, spanning two seasons, Tsutsugo has averaged .209 with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs. He became a free agent following the expiry of his two-year contract originally signed with the American League's Rays.
Before he moved to the United States in 2020, Tsutsugo played 10 seasons for the DeNA BayStars in Japan, where he was a five-time All-Star and three-time Central League Best Nine Award recipient.