Ex-Rangers righty pitcher Kohei Arihara considering MLB return

Former Texas Rangers right-handed starting pitcher Kohei Arihara is interested in returning to MLB, according to Yahoo Japan. Arihara spent the past three seasons with the SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan. He will be a free agent on Dec. 2.

Arihara, 33, began his professional baseball career with the Nippon Ham Fighters of NPB in 2015. After six seasons with the Fighters, Arihara signed a two-year, $6.2 million contract with the Rangers in Dec. 2020.

Arihara disappointed Rangers fans during his tenure with Texas

Unfortunately, Arihara had a tough time as a Ranger, spending just two seasons with the organization before returning to Japan. During his tenure with Texas, Arihara posted an awful 7.57 ERA with 38 strikeouts, 24 walks and 81 hits in 60 2/3 innings over 15 appearances. He also had 23 minor league outings, 22 with Triple-A Round Rock and one with Double-A Frisco, managing a 5.46 ERA with 72 strikeouts, 24 walks and 92 hits over 85 2/3 innings. Texas designated him for assignment in Sept. 2022 and he elected free agency at the end of the season.

Arihara’s struggles with the Rangers weren’t entirely his fault, as he dealt with injuries that kept him off the field for much of his time in the United States. In May of his first season with Texas, Arihara underwent surgery for an aneurysm in his shoulder, keeping him sidelined until Sept. He also landed on the 10-day IL during the 2022 season, but he returned to in-game action quickly.

Arihara has dominated NPB past three seasons

Arihara has dominated on the mound since returning to his home country. He posted a 2.32 ERA over 120 2/3 innings in 2023, a 2.36 ERA over 182 2/3 innings in 2024 and a 3.03 ERA over 175 innings in 2025. His strikeout rate hasn’t been great since returning to NPB, but he has successfully kept walks minimal while inducing a lot of ground balls.

The Rangers may consider bringing Arihara back if he is willing to sign for a relatively low price. But the righty would have a tough time making the rotation, so he would be better off signing with a team that is more desperate for starting pitching help.