Marlins make Ichiro Suzuki signing official

A contingent of Marlins front-office executives traveled halfway around the world to sign a reserve outfielder on Tuesday.

Then again, the player signed was Ichiro Suzuki, one of the most prolific hitters in professional baseball history.

The Marlins made it official with the 41-year-old player, signing Suzuki to a one-year deal worth about $2 million.

Suzuki 2,844 major-league hits — not to mention another 1,278 he recorded during his pro career in Japan.

But unless one of the Marlins’ starting outfielders is lost due to injury, Suzuki will be relegated to a mostly bench, pinch-hitting role as his career begins to wind down.

Despite Suzuki’s fading stature on the field, the Marlins sent no fewer than five members of the front office to Japan for the signing: president David Samson, president of baseball operations Michael Hill, general manager Dan Jennings, vice president of communications P.J. Loyello, and former player Jeff Conine.

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Marlins make Ichiro Suzuki signing official."