Hokkaido Nippon-Ham: Nao Miyanishi to serve as player-pitcher coach for the first team starting next season

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham announced that they have reached a contract agreement for next season with pitcher Nao Miyanishi, and it has also been decided that he will concurrently serve as a first-team pitching coach starting next season. In this season, his 19th year as a professional, he was limited to 8 appearances and failed to reach double-digit appearances for the first time in his career.

Tohoku Rakuten Eagles acquire Takuya Kai from The Giants via cash trade

Tohoku Rakuten Eagles acquired Takuya Kai from The Giants via a cash trade. Kai, who joined Fukuoka Softbank as the 6th pick in the 2010 developmental draft, has won the Best Nine award three times and the Mitsui Golden Glove Award seven times. He exercised his domestic free agency rights in the 2024 off-season to move to The Giants; in his first year after the transfer last season, he batted .260 in 68 games, but this season he was limited to appearing in only 13 games.

▼Takuya Kai Profile▼
・Position: catcher
・Date of Birth: November 5, 1992 (33 years old)
・Place of Birth: Oita Prefecture
・Throw/Bat: Right/Right
・Height/Weight: 170cm/87kg
・Career: Yoshikan High School (2010 Developmental Draft 6th pick) - Fukuoka Softbank Hawks - Yomiuri Giants - Rakuten Eagles

Saitama Seibu Lions to allow Kaima Taira to use the posting system

　埼玉西武は、平良海馬投手がポスティングシステムを利用して、メジャーリーグベースボールへの移籍を目指す意向を示したことを受け、これを受諾すると発表した。今後は移籍に向けた手続きを開始する。

　平良投手は今季から先発に再転向すると、キャリアハイの12勝をマーク。防御率1.36で最優秀防御率投手賞に輝き、NPB史上初となる、同一投手がキャリアを通じて最優秀中継ぎ投手賞、最多セーブ投手賞、最優秀防御率投手賞の3タイトルを獲得する快挙を成し遂げた。

▼広池浩司取締役球団本部長 コメント▼
「平良投手は、これまでチームの要望に応じてさまざまな役割を担い、タイトルを獲得するほどの結果を残してくれました。今度は私たちが彼の要望に応える番ではないかと思い、その気持ちを伝えました。今年は先発として終盤まで出力が落ちず、ピンチではさらにギアを上げる。クローザーが初回から最後まで投げているようで、もう一段階レベルが上がったと感じました。

探究心と向上心が強く、取り組んだことを形にできる能力の高さも、彼のすごさだと思います。私の中では、間違いなくNPBナンバーワンの投手です。まだ今後のことが決まったわけではありませんが、MLBの打者にどのような投球をするのか、本当に楽しみです。けがなく、彼らしい投球を長く続けてほしいと願っています」

▼平良投手 コメント▼
「長い間、メジャーでプレーしたいという思いを持っていたので、ようやくそこに一歩踏み出せたと感じています。ドラフトで指名していただき、9年間プレーする中で、スタッフの皆さんやチームメイトと、本当に楽しく、素晴らしい時間を過ごすことができました。忘れることのない、大切な思い出です」

Saitama Seibu Lions will not renew the contract with Yuta Nakamura for next season.

Saitama Seibu Lions announced that they have notified pitcher Yuta Nakamura that they will not renew his contract for next season. Pitcher Nakamura transferred from Hiroshima in the 2023 active player draft. Since then, he appeared in 70 games over three seasons, maintaining a strong performance with an ERA in the 1s for both this season and last season.

▼Comment from Pitcher Nakamura▼
"I feel very frustrated that we could not achieve a championship as a team. I believe this team has the strength to win, so the regret of not reaching our goal remains. On the other hand, personally, although there were times when things didn't go as planned due to injuries, I was supported by many people and feel I was able to achieve results that gave me a sense of confidence in my own way.

I am truly grateful to everyone who supported me. Since it has been decided that I will undergo surgery in the future, I will focus on rehabilitation so that I can stand on the mound once again."

Saitama Seibu Lions 2027 Coaching Staff Announcement

Saitama Seibu Lions announced the 2027 coaching staff.

▼2027 Season Coaching Staff▼
Position: Name / number *Titles omitted

・Manager: Fumiya Nishiguchi / 74
・First-team Head Coach: Yusuke Torigoe / 91
・First-team Chief pitcher Coach: Kiyoshi Toyoda / 81
・First-team pitcher Coach: Tatsuya Oishi / 95
・First-team Battery Coach: Masatoshi Okada / 92 (Reassignment)
・First-team Chief fielder and Batting Coach: Toshihisa Nishi / 78
・First-team Batting Coach: Yoshiie Tachibana / 83
・First-team Batting Coach: Hiroyuki Shirasaki (New appointment)
・First-team infield defense and base running Coach: Satoshi Kuroda / 87
・First-team outfield defense and base running Coach: Masato Kumashiro / 84
・Farm Manager: Tatsuya Ozeki / 79
・Farm Chief pitcher Coach: Yoshihiro Doi / 72
・Farm pitcher Coach: Tomio Watanabe / 98
・Farm pitcher Coach: Hayato Aoki / 93
・Farm pitcher Coach: Daiki Enokida / 85
・Second-team Battery Coach: Kosuke Noda / 82
・Second-team Chief fielder and Batting Coach: Ryutaro Tsuji / 77
・Second-team Batting Coach: Hiroyuki Oshima / 88
・Second-team infield defense and base running Coach: Keiji Obiki / 80
・Second-team outfield defense and base running Coach: Shogo Akada / 86
・Third-team Chief Coach: Satoshi Aoki / 97
・Third-team fielder Coach: Norio Tanabe / 76
・Third-team fielder Coach: Yuji Onizaki / 94
・Third-team fielder Coach: Fumikazu Kimura / 89
・Third-team fielder Coach: Shota Nakata / 96 (Reassignment)

▼First-team Batting Coach Hiroyuki Shirasaki Comment▼
"I intend to support each player to maximize their unique strengths while facing their individual characteristics and challenges, utilizing the knowledge and insights I gained while working as a performance analyst this past year. I will value communication with the players and strive to convey information obtained from analysis in an easy-to-understand manner so that it can be utilized in daily practice and games. I will continue to learn and devote myself to contributing to the improvement of player performance and the team's scoring ability."

Orix Buffaloes' Hitomi Honda retires from active play

Orix Buffaloes announced that they have accepted a request for retirement from pitcher Hitomi Honda, and have accepted it. Pitcher Honda joined Orix Buffaloes as the 4th draft pick in 2017. In this 9th season, which he started as a developmental player, he achieved a return to the active roster in July, but was diagnosed with a right vertebral artery dissection after being struck near the neck by a batted ball in August.

▼Comment from pitcher Hitomi Honda▼
"After much deliberation, I have decided to retire. I have no regrets now and feel at peace. I am filled with gratitude for the fans who supported me through good times and bad, the team that helped me grow as a person and took care of me, and everyone involved. Thank you very much."

Orix Buffaloes announce members participating in fall camp

Orix Buffaloes announced the participating members for the fall camp to be held in Kochi City.

【pitcher】*Titles omitted
Naruki Teranishi, Kyosuke Saito, Haruki Mori, Leo Yamaguchi, Raiku Katayama, Reiji Higashiyama, Riku Miyaguni, Kaito Iriyama, Kaito Saiki, Taito Takashima, Ryusei Gonda, Yuki Udagawa, Matthew, Hsu Chen-Wei

【fielder】
Sho Fukunaga, Ryoma Yamanaka, Shuna Hori, Ryo Ota, Tomoya Noguchi, Kotaro Kobayashi, Ho Naito, Seiya Yokoyama, Sho Gibo, Kosei Osato, Chang Yi-An, Yusuke Mugitani, Ryoma Ikeda, Yosuke Kubota, Kendai Moto, Haruto Mikata, Seiichi Teramoto

Orix Buffaloes: Yoshihisa Hirano appointed as minor league manager; five other new coaches also appointed.

The Orix Buffaloes announced that the appointments of Yoshihisa Hirano as farm team manager, Satoshi Komatsu as farm team pitcher coach, Masahiro Nishino as farm team batting coach, Taisuke Kondo as development coach, Kazuya Katsuki as assistant development coach, and Kyohei Ueno as assistant development coach have been finalized.

Fukuoka Softbank has signed a naming rights agreement with SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation for The Hawks Chikugo Autumn Practice.

Fukuoka Softbank has signed a naming rights agreement with SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation for The Hawks Chikugo Autumn Practice. Accordingly, the name will be "The Hawks Chikugo Autumn Practice 2026 Supported by SKY Perfect!". The participating players are as follows.

【pitcher】*Titles omitted
Taito Murakami, Haruto Fujiwara, Gota Suzuki, Hokuto, Ryo Oyama, Fuga Otake, Kazuo Ono, Shunsuke Iwasaki, Mikito Kobayashi, Shinichiro Kawano, Kenichi Murata, Kenshiro Tsukayama, Yuta Aihara, Sanshiro Izaki, Koichiro Okada, Ryotaro Sawayanagi, Takuma Yamasaki, Taiga Kumagai, Dan Shioji, Renta Nagasaki

【fielder】
Riku Watanabe, Soichiro Ishizuka, Yutaro Fujita, Yudai Shoji, Ryuta Hirose, Itua Ikhine, Shinjiro Uno, Ryukei Takahashi, Yoshiyasu Sasakawa, So Otomo, Kanta Ikeda, Ryota Morishima, Zairen, Keio Fujino, Yuki Hirose, Kyoshiro Sakura, Koki Nakazawa, Leo Ohashi, Kyogo Yamashita, Ayuma Nishio, Shuya Oizumi, Koha Gyofu, Takahiro Suzuki, Ikumi, Emil Serrano Plensa

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