After a season in which he won the MVP, the pitching gold glove (also like an MVP), and became the first pitcher in  nearly a decade to win 20 games, Daniel Rios of the Doosan Bears looks set to leave Korea for the NPB in Japan, according to several  media sources.

On Wednesday, Nippon Sports daily reported  that Rios and the Yakult Swallows have almost reached an agreement and will  make the announcement  official by early next week.

According to a Korea Times article the 35-year-old Rios’ was offered $2.6MM for two years.  His current team, the Doosan Bears proposed $2MM for the same term. The Orix Buffaloes, the team thought to be in hot pursuit of Rios before season’s end, offered just $1.3MM.

In late November the Swallows signed another Korean leaguer,  Samsung Lions veteran  Lim Chang-yong.  However the deal with Rios would likely make him the No. 1 starter on the team. Yakult lost two of its top starters in Seth Greisinger and Kazuhisa Ishii to the Yomuri Giants and the Seibu Lions respectively.

The Korea Times article speculates that Doosan will target With the Rios’ breakaway, the Bears will look to former current Fresno Giant  Kim “Sunny” Sun-woo or  Gary Rath, who played for the team in 2002 and 2004, and has also played in both Japan and Taiwan, as possible replacements.