On the 4th, Seibu Lions announced that they had signed a contract for this season with pitcher Mitsunari Takahashi (28), who was aiming to challenge the majors using the posting system.
Hiroike, the Lions' general manager, commented through the team, "We are encouraged that he has chosen to play for The Lions this season despite talk of a major league contract. pitcher Mitsunari Takahashi is a huge asset to the team. I believe he will approach the season with a strong determination, so we hope he will achieve his career-best results and make a significant contribution to the team's win."
As the ace pitcher for Maebashi Ikuei High School (Gunma), Takahashi led the team to its first victory at Koshien in the summer of his second year, and joined Seibu Lions as the first pick in the 2014 draft. He recorded double-digit win for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023. The right-handed pitcher, who admires his Seibu Lions senior, Yusei Kikuchi (currently with the Angels), applied to the team in the off-season of 2022 to take on the possibility of a future MLB challenge. The team's approval was denied in the off-season of 2023, and in his 10th year as a professional, he gave up after a nightmare 0-11 record in 2024. "It's definitely a plus for baseball career. I just want to get revenge," he said. Last season, he pitched in 24 games, posting an 8-9 record with a 3.04 ERA, showing signs of recovery. He was given permission to take on the dream stage ahead of the 2026 season, when he is expected to acquire overseas free agency rights.
However, while Japanese players who have used the system this offseason include Yakult 's Munetaka Murakami, who has agreed to a contract with the White Sox, and Seibu Lions 's Tatsuya Imai, who has agreed to a contract with the Astros, there has been little information about Takahashi. On the 1st (2nd in Japan), the official MLB website reported under the headline "Takahashi may return to Japan in 2026," that "Takahashi received an offer from at least one team, but it may not have been enough for him to decide to move to the majors. Instead, he has signed a multi-year contract with Seibu Lions that includes an opt-out clause, which will allow him to enter the major league market again in the offseason of 2026 as a free agent with no posting system restrictions."
At the Winter Meetings held in December last year, where managers, GMs, and agents from each team gathered to negotiate transfers, J. Wolf of Wasserman Agency, who is Takahashi's agent, told Sports Hochi, "I think he can get a multi-year contract, but there's also the possibility that he will ultimately return to Seibu Lions." However, his dream is not over. Seibu manager Seibu Lions has revealed that if Takahashi stays with the team, he is a candidate for this season's opening pitcher. He could once again demonstrate results in Japan and then make the long-awaited move overseas.
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