Seibu Lions Shunsuke Sato pitcher (25) signed a contract renewal at the team's office in Tokorozawa, Saitama, on May 5 for 38 million yen (estimated amount), a 5 million yen decrease.
In his fourth year as a pro, he only pitched in 20 games this season, finishing with 0 wins, 2 losses, 6 hold, and ERA of 6.41, with no results. "From the middle of the season onwards, I was getting hit every time I pitched, and it just kept going without me knowing what to do," he said, and his last appearance in a first-division game was against Nippon-Ham Fighters (Belluna Dome) on July 16th.
The team selected Chuo University left-handed pitcher Sora Iwaki as the second pick in this fall's draft. The competition for the "left-handed relief pitcher" position is expected to intensify further, but he has no intention of losing, saying, "Of course there are others around me, but I think I can do well if I can perform at my own level."
Last offseason, the lefty requested that the team review its method of reliever evaluating the team. The team did a good job of reviewing it, and I think the other pitcher players are being well-received. I am grateful to them because they said, 'Do your best so that you can benefit from it. I will do my best so that I can benefit from it next year," he vowed.
Related News
・ [Seibu Lions] 2022 first-round draft pick Takuya Hiruma renews his contract with a 5 million yen reduction, saying, "I lost sight of myself. It was a disappointing year."
・ [Seibu Lions] Wataru Matsumoto renews his contract with a pay cut of 8 million yen: "I want to be able to throw good pitches from the start next season."
・ [Yakult] Shimizu Noboru renews his contract for next season at 75 million yen, a 55 million yen decrease over the past two years. "It's my fate to finish last. It's my fate to not perform well."
[Seibu Lions] Third-year right-hander Haruto Yamada renews his contract for 30 million yen, more than four times his contract amount. "I will remain injury-free for another year next season."
・ [Seibu Lions] Yuta Nakamikawa returned to the team, has renewed his contract with an increase of 1.4 million yen, "so that he can produce consistent results without any ups and downs."
