Japanese professional baseball player Ichiro Suzuki is now an official member of the MLB team Miami Marlins.
News about Suzuki joining the team came after his one-year contract with the Marlins was finalized, according to the Vancouver Sun.
As stated in the athlete's contract with the team, he will receive $2.8 million as part of his performance bonus every time he plays on the field.
After Suzuki signed the contract in the presence of Marlins executives, team owner Jeffrey Loria released a statement confirming the completion of the deal.
"We are thrilled to have Ichiro Suzuki in Marlins uniform," Loria stated. "He is the ultimate professional on and off the field, and will make an excellent addition to our ballclub."
Suzuki's professional baseball career started in 1992 when he joined the Orix Blue Wave under Japan's Pacific League. He played for the team for a total of nine seasons before debuting in MLB for the Seattle Mariners.
Suzuki made history in 2001, during his first year with the Mariners, after winning both the American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards. Then, in 2012, he was picked up by the New York Yankees.
At 41 years old, Suzuki is a bit worried about joining a team composed of young players. Despite this, he still wants to be part of the team's young group of athletes.
"Everybody is treating me like I'm really old," he said during a press conference according to the NY Post. "But please put me in that group of young guys. I feel young and want to be included in that group."
"I'm 41," he added. "I obviously don't know what my role is right now. I'll go through camp and find that out. Hopefully it won't look like I'm using a bat as a cane."
Suzuki finished the 2014 MLB season with a batting average of .317, 2,844 hits and 112 home runs.
