Hiroki Kuroda will return to Japan to play for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, dealing the New York Yankees another blow to its rotation for the 2015 MLB season.

Japanese media outlets confirmed that Kuroda will return to pitch for the Carp, his first professional baseball team, after signing a one-year deal worth $3.3 million, which is significantly lower than the $16 million he received from the Yankees this year.

Hiroshima Toyo Carp manager Koichi Ogata confirmed to Japan Times that Kuroda decided to return to the club, despite receiving more lucrative offers from several major league teams.

"I am grateful for the choice Kuroda has made," Ogata said. "This will raise the motivation of the players and have a significant impact on the team. The club has persevered with the negotiations and I feel this shows how determined the club is to win the pennant next season."

Kuroda started his professional career with the Carp in 1997 and played 11 seasons before moving to the major leagues. The Osaka, Japan native signed a lucrative deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 and moved to the Yankees in 2012, spending the last three seasons in New York.

The Yankees reportedly wanted to keep Kuroda for another season after the 40-year-old managed to stay healthy last season. The right hander pitched 199 innings in 32 games, where he went 11-9 with a 3.71 ERA and 146 strikeouts for the Yankees, ESPN noted.

With Kuroda returning to Japan, the Yankees lost another possible starter for next season. Earlier in the offseason, Brandon McCarthy signed with the Dodgers, while Shane Greene was traded to Detroit in the deal that sent shortstop Didi Gregorius to the Bronx.

Kuroda's departure created speculation that the Yankees will reconsider their stance on free-agent pitcher Max Scherzer, who is being linked to the Bronx Bombers over the past several weeks.

However, Yankees president Randy Levine recently said acquiring Scherzer is highly unlikely at this point, saying that they are not willing to give into the right-hander's asking price, according to ESPN.

Scherzer, who went 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 33 starts last season, is reportedly asking for a deal equal to or greater than the six-year, $155 million contract Jon Lester signed with the Chicago Cubs.

Barring any major changes, the Yankees will likely start the 2015 season with Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Chris Capuano and Nathan Eovaldi in their rotation.

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