MLB

Kuroda, Ichiro decline to play for Japan in WBC

Free agents Hiroki Kuroda and Ichiro have both decided to gracefully bow out and not play for Japan in next year’s World Baseball Classic.

Kuroda and Ichiro, who both played for the Yankees in 2012, are free agents and become the latest two big-name Japanese stars to decline an invitation to play in the tournament, joining Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish and Brewers outfielder Norichika Aoki.

“I appreciate being asked to play for Japan again at the WBC, but after the second tournament in 2009 I never considered playing in the third event,” Ichiro said on Monday.

Ichiro played for Japan in 2006 and 2009, helping his native country win the first two tournaments.

Ichiro was traded from the Mariners to the Yankees in July and hit .322 with five home runs and 28 RBI in his 67-game stint with the Bombers.

Kuroda, who signed a one-year deal to play in New York last offseason, pitched to a 16-11 record with a 3.32 ERA and, according to The Post’s Joel Sherman, the Yankees are willing to offer the 37-year-old a one-year deal.

Kuroda, could find the Yankees’ potential one-year deal attractive due to his stated desire to still pitch in Japan while he is an effective starter. The Dodgers, Kuroda’s former club, and the Angels could both offer two-year deals.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.