On the 25th, it was decided that Seibu Lions Lions outfielder Seiya Watanabe (23) will move to third base next season. Manager Nishiguchi revealed, "For now, I think he'll be playing third base."
This conversion is precisely because he has established himself as the core of the batting lineup. In his fourth year at Osaka Shoin University, he was third baseman, but in order to focus more on hitting, he started the season as the fifth batter and left fielder, and played in 109 games with a batting average of .259. The manager explained, "By moving (Watabe) Seiya to third base, we don't know if the one outfield spot will be filled by a foreign player or rookie like Akiyama, Hase (Hasegawa), or Tono (Tonozaki), and it will create opportunities for various players. It will also add depth to the batting lineup."
Tonozaki, who started in 63 games at third base this season, the most on the team, has been playing more in right field since the middle of the season, and it is highly likely that he will play in outfield next season as well. Watanabe Satoshi is highly motivated, saying, "I think my range as a player will also expand, so I would like to work on this in a positive way." (Oonaka Ayami)
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