On the 25th, Seibu announced that they had agreed to a contract with outfielder Masashi Kuwahara (32), who exercised his overseas free agent rights from DeNA. General Manager Koji Hiroike (52) revealed this during an interview in Tokyo.
Seibu has expressed their love for Kuwabara, who said he wants to "live baseball career without regrets," saying, "We want to work with The Lions to become the best in Japan." When contacted on the 24th, the general manager sighed and said, "We have been saying for a long time that we need Kuwabara's strength, and I think that his enthusiasm was conveyed, which is why we reached an agreement." While the terms were not disclosed, it appears that they showed their sincerity by offering favorable terms similar to the four-year contract with an annual salary of over 100 million yen that DeNA had offered.
This season Seibu has added depth, with newcomer Sei Watabe in left field and Nishikawa, in his eighth year with the team, in the middle of the lineup, but they dared to acquire Kuwabara, a two-time Golden Glove Award winner, in the middle of the lineup. The manager said, "Competition is one of the keywords. We want to encourage everyone's growth by bringing in a player with a proven track record. He also said, "I've heard that Kuwabara position wants to play both left and right field where he can." He also said, "We need a player who can express his persistence toward win." He hoped that the "Guts Man of Hama" would have a positive effect on the mental side of the team.
This is the first time Seibu has acquired a free agent in 10 years, since Kimura Shogo (who became a free agent from Hiroshima) in the off-season of 2015. Kuwahara's annual salary this season is 120 million yen, putting him in the B rank, which requires compensation, but the general manager said, "We have to make a move. We've been in the B ranks for three years in a row," showing his willingness to make further reinforcements, even if it means shedding blood. In order to strengthen infield, they are also in negotiations with Ishii, who declared free agency from Nippon-Ham. They will do whatever it takes to regain their first championship in seven years, since 2019. (Akimoto Masami)
◆Kuwahara Masayuki: Born July 21, 1993 in Osaka Prefecture. 32 years old. Joined Yokohama as the 4th pick in the 2011 draft from Fukuchiyama Seibi High School. Became a regular player from 2016 and played in 143 games in 2017. He led the team with his gutsy play and was MVP in the 2024 Japan Series. He won the Golden Glove Award in 2017 and 2023. This season he played in 106 games with a batting average of .284, 6 Home Run, and 27 RBI. He is 174 cm tall and weighs 80 kg. He bats and throws right-handed.
Related News
・ [Seibu] Acquires outfielder from DeNA
・ [DeNA] Masashi Kuwahara decides to exercise his free agency, becoming the second player to be ranked B and requiring compensation, following Hikaru Ito.
・ DeNA's Masashi Kuwahara, who won the MVP award at the Japan Series last year, has decided to exercise his overseas free agent rights after careful consideration. "I want to live baseball life without regrets."
・ [DeNA] A contract with Shintaro Fujinami for next season is imminent. A large offer has been made to Kuwahara, who is considering exercising his free agency.
・ [DeNA] Irie, Yu Ishida, and Darling Honey Yoshikawa are eager to retain Kuwahara, who is currently exercising his overseas free agent rights.
