JAPANESE RIGHT-HANDED PITCHER UWASAWA SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE CONTRACT WITH TAMPA BAY

Another Japanese pitcher crosses the Pacific Ocean.Naoyuki Uwasawa (29), a right-handed pitcher who played for the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Japanese professional baseball team, signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays of the Major League Baseball (MLB).The Tampa Bay club announced on the 12th (Korean time), “We have signed a minor league contract with Uwasawa that includes an invitation to spring training.”Uwasawa served as a starting pitcher for Nippon Ham from 2014 to last year.

He appeared in a total of 173 games over 9 seasons and achieved a record of 70 wins, 62 losses, and an ERA of 3.19.In the 2023 season, he played in 24 games with 9 wins, 9 losses, and an average ERA of 2.96.He aimed to advance to the United States through the posting system after the season ended, and announced the news of his contract on the posting deadline.

A large number of pitchers who played in Japanese professional baseball this winter are advancing to American professional baseball.Japanese national baseball team ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed a large 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth a total of $325 million, and left-handed bullpen Yuki Matsui signed a five-year contract with the San Diego Padres worth $28 million.On the 11th, left-hander Shota Imanaga signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.Go Woo-seok, a former Korean professional baseball player, also signed an MLB contract with San Diego for 2+1 years worth up to $9.4 million.On the other hand, 슬롯게이밍 Uwasawa receives somewhat harsh treatment and sets foot on the American stage.