Chicago Cubs

After becoming Japanese sensation, Matt Murton reportedly returning to Cubs

Published Feb. 4, 2016 10:15 p.m. ET

foxsports

After spending six season with the NPB Harshen Tigers in Japan, outfielder Matt Murton is returning to his first MLB home with the Chicago Cubs, according to MLB.com.

Murton last played for the Colorado Rockies in 2009 in just 29 games, with his best years in MLB coming during his first three years in the league with the Cubs starting in 2005. He briefly played for the Oakland Athletics after being traded to the club by the Cubs during the 2008 season.

While Murton was out of viable starting options in the MLB, he took his talents to Japan, where he experienced great success.

In his first season with the NPB's Tigers, he hit 214 base hits, breaking Ichiro Suzuki's then-record of 210 in a season. He won another batting title in 2014 and became the fifth-fastest player to reach 1,000 hits in the Japanese league.

While his single-season hits record was broken in 2015 by Shogo Akiyama with 216 hits, Murton has become a fan-favorite in Japanese baseball in the six seasons he spent playing in the country.

@EliGieryna Easy. Power breakfast. pic.twitter.com/i9T0R5R2xQ
— Yakyu Night Owl (@YakyuNightOwl) February 4, 2016

Matt Murton is going back to the Cubs? Here's an amazing Matt Murton T-Shirt I found when I was in Tokyo: pic.twitter.com/Hv4Y4sPlEL
— Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) February 4, 2016

Unfortunately, he likely won't receive quite the fanfare as he will likely have a hard time even breaking into the Cubs' crowded outfield. But after a solid six seasons in Japan, a bench spot could be in his future in Chicago.