Ichiro Suzuki and Marlins agree to terms on a 1 year, $2 million contract

MIAMI – Ichiro Suzuki has decided to play for the Miami Marlins.

Ichiro and the team have agreed to a $2 million, one-year contract, pending a physical, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the contract with the 41-year-old outfielder has not been finalized.

The contract is likely to be formally completed next week.

Ichiro’s signing is just one of many eye-catching moves by the Marlins in this offseason, starting with the record $325 million, 13-year contract given in November to slugger Giancarlo Stanton.

Among the other highlights: They acquired pitcher Aaron Crow, a 2008 first-round pick, from Kansas City; landed All-Star second baseman Dee Gordon and right-hander Dan Haren from the Los Angeles Dodgers; and picked up right-hander Mat Latos from Cincinnati.

And now Ichiro figures to add even more buzz to a Marlins team with eyes on competing in the NL East.

The 10-time All-Star batted .284 last year for the New York Yankees. He topped the 200-hit mark in his first 10 major league seasons and has 2,844 MLB hits in his 14 seasons with the Yankees and Seattle Mariners.

He arrived from Japan after spending nine seasons with the Orix BlueWave, and he won the AL batting title, Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in 2001. He won a second batting crown in 2004, when his 262 hits broke the season record George Sisler set 84 years earlier.

Combined with his 1,278 hits from nine seasons in Japan, Ichiro has 4,122 in his professional big league career — 59 fewer than Ty Cobb and 134 less than Pete Rose.

In Miami, Ichiro may see limited playing time as the fourth man in an outfield featuring 2014 National League home run champion Stanton and young talents Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich.

via Ichiro, Marlins agree to terms | The Japan Times.