Rhodes Returns Home, Giant Career Over

Trivia answer: Ochiai took the triple crown with Lotte three times, then a HR and RBI champ with Chunichi later.

Too bad Rhodes' NPB career came to such a disappointing end, after such a long and popular success.

Gee, the trivia question was answered quickly.

Anyway, while others have speculated that Rhodes' career in Japan is finished, I still refuse to believe that. Even the Kyodo article was careful to say that the Giants would most likely not extend his contract. I won't count Rhodes as ending his NPB career until he makes such a statement or until November, when teams can be open about their interest (or lack thereof).

This comes as a sadden event for me, even though I was a critic of some of Rhodes' actions this year. It just doesn't seem like Yomiuri was a great place for Rhodes to play at.

I'm still not sure if Rhodes will be back next year in the NPB given his actions this year. His comments about Yomiuri coach Sumio Hirota, his comments about his teammates, and his refusal to take part in a customary hero interview just make me seem he will not be back next year.

A team like Orix or Rakuten might still take a look at Rhodes. Rhodes is still a favorite with Buffaloes' fans if I'm not mistaken? It might work out well if Orix re-signs him. He could be a spark for the Orix Buffaloes.

Though I won't rule out the Giants not re-signing Rhodes, I'm counting against it highly. Though Rhodes might still be back in the NPB next year.

If Rhodes will agree to a cut in salary, I'm sure he'll be able to play somewhere in NPB. Of course this is just speculation, but I don't see Tuffy coming back with another CL team. If Yomiuri does somehow manage to lure Alex Cabrera away from Seibu, then might the Lions be interested? Rakuten is another option, as they stated they'll be looking for some new foreigners during the off-season.

Tuffy's return to NPB is contingent upon his upcoming MRI in the US. If something is found in his shoulder that requires lengthy rehab then he'll most likely retire, otherwise, he'll return to the Giants by early September.