On the 16th, it was decided that outfielder Ryosuke Tatsumi (29), who had been aiming to transfer from Rakuten Eagles to another team by exercising his domestic free agent (FA) rights, would remain with the team. On that day, he attended contract renewal negotiations at the team office in Sendai and signed the contract (annual salary is undisclosed). "I can't disclose the details, but they made a contract out of love. There are people on the team and those involved who have high expectations of me. I want to make this a season that I can report well," he said.
He had not received any offers from other teams, and decided to stay in December of last year. Regarding his decision to stay, he revealed, "I received a call from Ishii in December, and although I cannot reveal the details, he gave me some loving words. I realized that he had cherished and nurtured me after exercising his free agent rights. I want to do my best to help the team win the championship."
Tatsumi was also keen to try his hand at the majors, and requested a transfer using the posting system during last season, but the team did not approve. After the season ended, he declared free agency on November 11, 2013. "It was a comprehensive decision. I wanted to improve baseball skills, and I wanted to think about whether there was a team that needed me, so I wanted to exercise my free agency," he said.
Although his annual salary is not disclosed, it is believed to be B rank, which means he will be required to make personnel compensation. He sought a transfer to another domestic team, but was unable to make a decision as he was unable to receive the offer he wanted.
The team had initially agreed to Tatsumi's declaration to stay, and just before the start of training camp, Tatsumi decided to stay.
He joined the team as the first pick in the 2018 draft from Ritsumeikan University. As center fielder, he won the Golden Glove Award for four consecutive years from 2021, but struggled last season, being demoted to the second team and appearing in 114 games with a batting average of .240, 7 Home Run, and 32 RBI. He will make a fresh start and take on the challenge with Rakuten Eagles.
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