Kuwata to retire

The PG is reporting that Masumi Kuwata told the Pirates yesterday that since it's clear he won't be making the team this year, he's going to retire and head back to Japan. Neal Huntington apparently offered him a chance to pitch one final time today and take a coaching job with the club, but Kuwata declined both offers. He clearly didn't have much left in the tank, but it's hard not to respect a guy that knows when that's the case. He came over here to try and pitch in the majors, got his shot and couldn't hack it, and knew it was time to hang the spikes up. Honestly, it was kind of fun having him on the team in New York last year and hey, it's not like he was the worst reliever on the team. Happy trails, Masumi.