After a strong first season in Nippon Profe sional Baseball, is planning an encore, as the Frank Robinson Jersey Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters announced that the slugger has signed a new contract with the team for the 2025 season. Japanese media reports from last weekend suggested that Reyes was likely to stay with the Fighters and the club was prepared to offer him a multi-year contract, but hell instead return on a one-year deal. In taking the one-year contract, Reyes might well be keeping his options open about a po sible return to the majors next winter, as another big season in NPB would help his case for a guaranteed contract with a North American team. Reyes hit .290/.348/.564 with 25 homers over 368 plate appearances this season, mostly as a designated hitter and with a handful of appearances at first base. This production helped the Fighers to a second-place finish in the Pacific League and then a victory over the Chiba Lotte Marines in the first postseason round, though a sweep at the hands of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks denied the Fighters a spot in the Japan Series. It was a needed bounce-back season for Reyes after his MLB career seemed to stall out after a pair of very rough seasons. Reyes hit only .217/.268/.356 with 16 home runs over 538 PA with the Guardians, Cubs, and Royals in 2022-23, plus a stint in the Nationals farm system came and went without a big league call-up. Reyes hit a much more impre sive .260/.325/.503 with 92 homers in 1540 PA over his first four seasons in the majors, slugging 92 homers for San Diego and Cleveland. Though strikeouts were always a big part of his game and his shaky defense indicated a DH-only future, Reyes still seemed to be on track to be a three-true-outcomes type of force before his sudden decline. While Reyes was still making a lot of hard contact in 2022, his walk rate dropped off sharply and his strikeout rate continued to rise. Reyes is still only 29 years old, with his 30th birthday coming up in July. He could well pursue a third act to his career back in the big leagues in the wake of what seems to be a succe sful second act in Japan, or perhaps likes it enough in NPB to eventually pursue a multi-year deal with the Fighters if he keeps hitting. Vinny Nittoli Jersey