DETROIT -- Kenta Maeda is returning to Japan after his release from the Tigers, choosing a new team rather than reuniting with the club where he became a star.

Maeda, 37, agreed to a two-year contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball last week.

Before heading to Major League Baseball, Maeda pitched for eight seasons with the Hiroshima Carp. Many fans expected he would return there to end his career after his U.S. tenure came to a close.

But in a social media post to fans, Maeda answered honestly : Because of his recent performance, he did not have an offer to return to the Carp.

“Being judged as not needed by my former team is, of course, disappointing, but it is also proof that the younger pitchers are working hard and raising the level of the

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