After a six-season career in Major League Baseball, news broke over the weekend that first baseman Justin Bour is set to head to Japan to play for the Hanshin Tigers in the next stage of his career.

Bour, who established himself as the Miami Marlins’ starting first baseman from 2015 to 2018, will test the waters of Nippon Professional Baseball after a rough 2019 that had his Major League job prospects looking tenuous at best.

The 31-year-old first baseman signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels last season after being non-tendered by the Phillies, who acquired him in an August 2018 trade with Miami.

Bour disappointed in his only season in Anaheim, hitting a meager .172 in 52 games with a team that failed to meet expectations. He managed 8 home runs in those 52 games, but not much more.

A career .253 hitter with 92 home runs in 559 career games, Bour will look to get his career back on track with the Hanshin Tigers. There have been plenty of examples of players getting their careers back on track after a move to Japan, and Bour will look to be the next one to do so.

He is set to make his Tigers debut in March of 2020.

The post Veteran MLB 1B Justin Bour Agrees to Japan Move appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After spending the 2019 season as a key piece on the Washington Nationals team that shocked the baseball world by making a surprise run to win the World Series, Gerardo Parra has picked a new destination in a new country.

Parra, the long-time MLB outfielder, revealed on Wednesday that he is set to make a move to Japan, where he will sign a contract to play for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants.

The Venezuelan outfielder made his MLB debut ten years ago with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 32-year-old has put together a strong reputation on the base paths and in the field, having won two Gold Glove Awards.

Parra became a fan favorite with the Nationals in 2019 after signing with the team in May. Despite normally starting on the bench, he contributed a .250 batting average with 8 home runs and 42 RBI, contributing lots of big hits.

“Baby Shark,” his infamous walk-up song, became the Nationals’ theme song during its incredible late-season run. He chose the song to help him get out of an early-season slump that saw him get released from the Giants.

All good things come to an end, however, as Parra will now move on to the world’s second-biggest baseball league.

The post Gerardo Parra Leaves MLB For Nippon Professional Baseball appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After a six-season career in Major League Baseball, news broke over the weekend that first baseman Justin Bour is set to head to Japan to play for the Hanshin Tigers in the next stage of his career.

Bour, who established himself as the Miami Marlins’ starting first baseman from 2015 to 2018, will test the waters of Nippon Professional Baseball after a rough 2019 that had his Major League job prospects looking tenuous at best.

The 31-year-old first baseman signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels last season after being non-tendered by the Phillies, who acquired him in an August 2018 trade with Miami.

Bour disappointed in his only season in Anaheim, hitting a meager .172 in 52 games with a team that failed to meet expectations. He managed 8 home runs in those 52 games, but not much more.

A career .253 hitter with 92 home runs in 559 career games, Bour will look to get his career back on track with the Hanshin Tigers. There have been plenty of examples of players getting their careers back on track after a move to Japan, and Bour will look to be the next one to do so.

He is set to make his Tigers debut in March of 2020.

The post Veteran MLB 1B Justin Bour Agrees to Japan Move appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After spending the 2019 season as a key piece on the Washington Nationals team that shocked the baseball world by making a surprise run to win the World Series, Gerardo Parra has picked a new destination in a new country.

Parra, the long-time MLB outfielder, revealed on Wednesday that he is set to make a move to Japan, where he will sign a contract to play for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants.

The Venezuelan outfielder made his MLB debut ten years ago with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 32-year-old has put together a strong reputation on the base paths and in the field, having won two Gold Glove Awards.

Parra became a fan favorite with the Nationals in 2019 after signing with the team in May. Despite normally starting on the bench, he contributed a .250 batting average with 8 home runs and 42 RBI, contributing lots of big hits.

“Baby Shark,” his infamous walk-up song, became the Nationals’ theme song during its incredible late-season run. He chose the song to help him get out of an early-season slump that saw him get released from the Giants.

All good things come to an end, however, as Parra will now move on to the world’s second-biggest baseball league.

The post Gerardo Parra Leaves MLB For Nippon Professional Baseball appeared first on SportzBonanza.