All articles tagged with #nippon professional baseball
Japanese star Munetaka Murakami signed a two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, bringing his powerful bat to MLB despite concerns over his defense and strikeout rate, after a record-breaking season in Japan and international fame in the World Baseball Classic.
Japanese third baseman Munetaka Murakami will be posted by the Yakult Swallows, allowing him to negotiate with MLB teams within 45 days, as he seeks to make the jump from NPB to MLB, with potential interest from teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees.
Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki is expected to be posted for Major League Baseball's winter meetings, opening a 45-day window for teams to recruit him. Sasaki, 23, is considered one of the world's top pitching talents and will sign as an international amateur, limiting his contract value compared to a free agent. Despite this, his skills, including a triple-digit fastball, make him highly sought after. The Los Angeles Dodgers, among others, are expected to pursue him, though his final choice remains uncertain.
Roki Sasaki's agent, Joel Wolfe, has denied rumors of a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, emphasizing the integrity of his agency. Speculation arose due to the Dodgers' large international bonus pool and their history with Japanese players. However, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred indicated Sasaki's posting might extend into 2025, complicating the Dodgers' financial advantage. The situation highlights flaws in MLB's international free agent system, potentially affecting Latin American prospects and sparking discussions on an international draft in future MLB-Players Association negotiations.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the new free agent signing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is set to make his MLB debut in one of their two opening games versus the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea on either March 20 or March 21, 2024. The Dodgers signed Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million contract, making him the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history. After a successful career in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, where he was a top pitcher, the Dodgers are hoping he will bring his production and success to MLB and help them win another World Series title.
The New York Mets have signed free-agent righty Shintaro Fujinami to a one-year deal worth $3.35MM in the majors with the potential for an additional $850K in incentives. Fujinami, a former Nippon Professional Baseball standout, struggled in his MLB debut with the Athletics but showed improvement after a mid-season trade to the Orioles. The Mets are taking a gamble on Fujinami's potential and are bolstering their bullpen with multiple new additions as they aim to navigate the luxury tax threshold.
Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga has reached a "complicated" deal with the Chicago Cubs, featuring an average annual value of $15 million. With eight years of experience in the Nippon Professional Baseball league, Imanaga is known for his impressive pitching stats but also for allowing a relatively high number of home runs. He is expected to join the Cubs' rotation for the 2024 season, adding depth to the team's pitching staff.
The Chicago Cubs have reportedly agreed to a deal with Japanese left-hander Shōta Imanaga, pending medical review, marking their first significant move of the offseason. Imanaga, posted by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, is expected to bolster the Cubs' rotation with his impressive pitching repertoire, including a mid-90s fastball and a track record of success in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Five of the 12 managers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball have Major League Baseball experience, all of them played for the Mets. The connection between the Mets and Japanese baseball has been fostered over the years, with enthusiastic support from Bobby Valentine, the former Mets manager, who has led teams in both the United States and Japan. The lack of organizational continuity makes it hard to pin down the exact root of the connection, but Japanese teams place a value on experience in the U.S. major leagues.
Five of the 12 managers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball have Major League Baseball experience, all of them played for the Mets. The connection between the Mets and Japanese baseball has been fostered over the years, with enthusiastic support from Bobby Valentine, the former Mets manager, who has led teams in both the United States and Japan. The lack of organizational continuity makes it hard to pin down the exact root of the connection, but Japanese teams place a value on experience in the U.S. major leagues.
Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida, a big fan of Bryce Harper, is excited to play against him this weekend in Philadelphia. Yoshida wore No. 34 in Japan for Harper, named his French bulldog Harper, and chose Harper as his nickname for a game where players wore nicknames on their jerseys. Yoshida is off to an impressive start in his rookie season, hitting .317 with a .948 OPS, six homers and 24 RBIs in 27 games. He is also learning English and finding ways to communicate with his Red Sox teammates and coaches.
Kodai Senga, who signed a five-year, $75 million contract in December, made his Major League debut for the Mets against the Marlins, allowing a single to the first batter he faced but retiring 15 of the final 17 batters he faced to earn his first MLB win. Senga threw 5 1/3 innings, striking out eight and generating whiffs on eight of the 12 ghost forks he threw. This was one of the most anticipated debuts of an international-born player in Mets history, given the size of Senga’s contract and his history as a five-time Nippon Professional Baseball champion.
The Toronto Blue Jays released right-hander Jay Jackson from his minor league deal with the team. Jackson, a veteran of four MLB seasons and four seasons pitching in Nippon Professional Baseball, had a clause in his deal requiring the Jays to release him if he wasn't going to make the Major League roster. Despite interest from five other teams, Jackson could not find a spot on the Jays' bullpen, which is already full of established relief options.
Roki Sasaki, a 21-year-old pitcher from Japan, is already the most electric pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball and is compared to Shohei Ohtani. Sasaki throws a triple-digit fastball and has a devastating splitter. He pitched a 19-strikeout perfect game, which is the only perfect game with 19 strikeouts in NPB history. Sasaki wants to become a Major Leaguer, but there's no timeline yet.