The Saitama Seibu Lions trend of losing pitchers in free agency continues. Ryoma Nogami and the Yomiuri Giants reached an agreement on Tuesday to a three year contract worth an estimated ¥450 million.
If Nogami were to make ¥150 million in 2018, it would triple his salary from the ¥50 million he made in 2017 with the Lions. The Lions gave Nogami a hard offer after two meetings of negotiation when he filed for free agency. It's easy to say the Giants outbid the Lions with room to spare.
Nogami, 30, was a mainstay in the Lions rotation for majority of his NPB career after being a second round draft pick in 2008 out of the industrial leagues. Last season, he went 11-10 with a 3.63 ERA as a mid-rotation starter.
With the Giants, Nogami will join a mix that includes Tetsuya Utsumi, Kan Otake, Toshiya Sugiuchi and more. The Kyojin will likely lose Miles Mikolas to MLB in free agency and they're looking for a rotation starter to solidify the group behind Kazuto Taguchi and reigning Sawamura award winner Tomoyuki Sugano.
This is the first time the Lions lost a free agent to the Giants since 2015 when Ryota Wakiya signed with them. After 2013, Yasuyuki Kataoka signed with the Giants and the Lions took Wakiya as the free agent compensation choice. Nogami is a type B free agent, meaning the Lions will choose between a larger cash compensation or taking an unprotected player with cash totaling 50% of Nogami's 2017 salary.
The Lions will replace this position from within. In the last three drafts, the Lions have taken a combined 16 pitchers.
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