"Posting is not a player's right"
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix Buffaloes), Shota Imanaga (Yokohama DeNA Baystars), Yuki Matsui (Rakuten Golden Eagles), and Naoyuki Uwasawa are receiving a lot of attention every day. Following (Nippon Ham Fighters), five major leaguers could have been born in Japan this offseason alone. However, due to opposition from the club, advancement to the big league was thwarted.
Japan's 'Tokyo Sports' reported on the 8th (Korean time) that Kona Takahashi's big league challenge in the 2023-2024 off-season was finally frustrated, saying, "Changes are appearing in the Seibu Lions, which have shown a lenient attitude toward the major league challenge." reported.
Takahashi began his professional career after being selected by Seibu in the first round of the 2014 Japanese professional baseball rookie draft. Takahashi began to stand out in his first season, appearing in 8 games (1 shutout) and recording 5 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 3.07. However, the following year, in 22 games, he recorded 4 wins, 11 losses, and an average ERA of 4.42, and was unable to play in a total of 10 games due to injuries in the 2017-2018 season, showing that his talent did not fully blossom.
It was the 2019 season that Takahashi began to really open his eyes. After shaking off his injury, Takahashi appeared in 21 games, pitched 123⅔ innings, and resurrected to 10 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 4.51, leaving a record of 8 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 3.74 in the 2020 season. Nevertheless, Takahashi, who had never pitched more than 125 innings in the six years since his professional debut, has grown one step further in the 2021 season, pitching 173⅔ innings, leaving a record of 11 wins, 9 losses, and an ERA of 3.78.
The ‘career high’ season was last year. Takahashi recorded 12 wins, 8 losses, and an ERA of 2.20 in 175⅔ innings in 26 games, rewriting most of his previous indicators. This year, he raised his velocity up to 157km and recorded four complete games in 23 games. He left a record of 10 wins, 8 losses, and an average ERA of 2.21. In particular, this year, he ranked 2nd in the Pacific League in ERA and tied for 4th in wins.
Although he was unable to play in many games due to 온라인카지노 injuries at the beginning of his debut, Takahashi was able to aim to advance to the major leagues through the 'posting system' as it is already his 9th season in a professional uniform. In addition, major league clubs also showed interest in Takahashi, who is growing into a top pitcher in the league by reaping double-digit wins for three consecutive years with a fast ball that can travel over 150 km. However, due to Seibu's opposition, his move to the big leagues failed.
'Tokyo Sports' said, "Seibu held salary negotiations on the 7th with Takahashi, who achieved double-digit wins for the third consecutive season so far this year and the fourth in his personal career, and ranked second in the Pacific League with an ERA of 2.21." “We officially notified Takahashi, who appealed for a transfer to the Major League through the posting system, that ‘posting is not permitted.’”
Seibu has been very favorable to advancing into the major leagues through the posting system. This can be seen just by looking at Daisuke Matsuzaka, Kazuhisa Makita, and Yusei Kikuchi, who currently plays for the Toronto Blue Jays. In addition, the club also allowed postings by Koji Mitsui, Shinji Mori, and Hiroyuki Nakajima. But why did the position suddenly change?
According to 'Tokyo Sports', general manager Hisanobu Watanabe said, "I and the club understand the desire to go to the major league even a year early. However, considering the team's strength for next season, it will be very difficult without Takahashi. The post is for the player. It is not the right of the player. There is a system called FA for the player. I know the desire to go, but if you just do as the player says, the team will not be created. This part is very difficult for us as well. There are parents who want to send the player, but the team that manages the club is very difficult. “From my perspective, I can’t just do that. I hope you understand this,” he emphasized.
Therefore, it is highly likely that Takahashi's advancement to the major leagues will be in the 2025 offseason when he becomes eligible for overseas free agency, or that his challenge will not be successful due to realistic barriers such as age. According to Seibu's current trend, Taira Kaima, who is very likely to challenge for the major league in the future, will also be able to enter the big league only after obtaining overseas free agent more info qualifications.