FUKUOKA, Japan -- Daisuke Matsuzaka has signed a contract with the Softbank Hawks of Japan's Pacific League after eight years in Major League Baseball.
The 34-year-old right-hander, who went 3-3 with 78 strikeouts and a 3.89 ERA for the New York Mets in 2014, led the Pacific League in wins three times with the Seibu Lions before signing a six-year, $52 million contract with the Boston Red Sox in 2006.
"This is a very solid team," Matsuzaka said at a news conference. "I remember from my days pitching in Japan how difficult they were to face. It should be a very enjoyable team to pitch for."
Terms of Matsuzaka's deal were not released.
In his first season in the majors. Matsuzaka helped Boston win the World Series in 2007. His best season was 2008, when he went 18-3 with 154 strikeouts and a 2.90 ERA but he didn't live up to expectations after that.
He finished 56-43 in 132 careers starts, with a 4.45 ERA.
Each of those wins brought in money for Matsuzaka. The Red Sox paid a $51.1 million posting fee, plus $52 million guaranteed, for Matsuzaka. He won 50 games for them -- which means they paid $2.06 million per win.
Matsuzaka himself (counting his stint with the Mets) pulled in $53.6 million over his career on 56 total wins, meaning he was paid an average of $957,174 per win.
The Hawks won the Japan Series in 2014 and are among the more successful teams in Nippon Professional Baseball.
"As we look to win the championship again, we think he can make a major contribution," Softbank chairman Sadaharu Oh said.
Information from ESPN.com's Darren Rovell and The Associated Press was used in this report.
