Seibu Lions sign Mark Payton

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions announced they signed OF Mark Payton for the 2023 season.  

Payton, 31, last played for the Chicago White Sox and appeared in only eight MLB games in 2022. With the Charlotte Knights, their AAA affiliate, he had a slashline of .293/.369/.539 with 25 HRs in 119 games. 

He was a Rule 5 draft pick twice in his career, once at the minor league level by the Oakland Athletics in 2018 and a second time at the MLB level by the Cincinnati Reds in 2019. He also spent time with the New York Mets organization at the AAA level after a trade.

After doing well with in AAA with the Las Vegas Aviators while in the Oakland Athletics organization in 2019, some thought he was worthy enough for a call up, but the A's outfield blocked his chances due to Ramón Laureano, Mark Canha, Stephen Piscotty and Robbie Grossman on the roster. 

Payton's professional career initially began with the New York Yankees organization as a 7th round draft pick in 2014 out of college. 

With the Lions outfield having uncertainty and a revolving door, they hope to find stability with Payton being an everyday player. He'll get the opportunity right away in the outfield along with rookie Takuya Hiruma. 

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall 

Yoshida enters Boston with unreal expectations

 

===

The Boston Red Sox officially signed Masataka Yoshida to a five-year contract last week for $90 million. He was introduced in public on Thursday in a press conference. 

He had a humble introduction and even spoke his opening statement in English. There were of blanket lip service statements by both the Red Sox and Yoshida's agent Scott Boras. 

"We've watched Masataka for a while," said Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. "For us, the thing that really stood out from all angles, from the scouting angle, from breaking down the performance, is just the quality of the at-bat. There's a very unique combination of contact skills and strike-zone discipline, and an ability to impact baseball that we feel has a chance to really impact the game at the Major League Level."

Despite all the positive accolades Yoshida had with the Orix Buffaloes, there's more concern than confidence for those in New England. 

The Boston Red Sox have had a disastrous off-season when hoping to retain star SS Xander Bogaerts, only to lose him in free agency to the San Diego Padres. 

Previously, they traded former MVP Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers with the feeling he would not be re-signed, acting like a small market team. Notably, the Red Sox just designated Jeter Downs, one of the key pieces in that trade, for assignment just to make room for Yoshida on the roster. 

They signed pitchers Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin to help the bullpen, yet the Red Sox still look like an organization playing second fiddle or even third fiddle to the rest of their division. 

Boston has also dumped dead weight in Eric Hosmer. J.D. Martinez has an agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers pending a physical while Rafael Devers is the only significant player remaining from the 2018 World Series championship winning team. 

Last season, the Red Sox finished in dead last of the AL East division. If one were to sum up their 2022 in a nutshell, it was being blown out by the Toronto Blue Jays in a 28-5 loss, where an inside-the-park grand slam from Raimel Tapia put an exclamation point on the embarrassment.  

Boston was hoping to retain Bogaerts and possibly make an additional splash with the free agents available. Now that Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson and Aaron Judge all signed with other teams while Bogaerts joined San Diego, both fans and the front office have felt a sense of shock while signing Yoshida feels like desperation for what they don't have or didn't spend. 

Up to the time of this writing, Yoshida is the largest fiscal free agent signing in this offseason by the Red Sox. 

The Red Sox don't believe in rebuilding, yet they've lost out on all the main targets everyone expected them to be in the discussion for. They still have Trevor Story who was a big signing last offseason, but health is a major concern for him going forward. 

Yoshida's long swing and defense are the biggest concerns for his MLB career. It's unsure how it translates against a fastball that isn't seen as much in Japan. 

His range is not as great and it would be best suited if he takes left field, moving Alex Verdugo to right field so he has less space to work with at the Green Monster. Yoshida already compared the Green Monster wall similar to the now-unused Sapporo Dome. 

The amount Yoshida was signed for was a shocker as he admitted it in his press conference. Boras said there were plenty of offers, indicating it quite the bidding war for his services. Yoshida took Boston's offer less than 24 hours after his posting window started. 

"I was very surprised by this deal,” Yoshida said with the help of his interpreter. “I want to say thank you to Scott Boras and the Boras Corporation, and thank you to the organization for accepting me. Obviously, I’m going to play hard next season.”

Boras is great for getting his clients what they want whether it's mostly money, or in Yusei Kikuchi's case, flexibility when he signed with Seattle. What makes this even more crazy, Yoshida is less accomplished statistically than Seiya Suzuki was before joining the Chicago Cubs, yet he will make $5 million more when his contract is up. 

It's easy to root for the guy to have success. However, Boston is large media market that he has never experienced. With the Orix Buffaloes, he could be anonymous and not have the spotlight aside from two Japan Series trips. 

Playing for a few East Coast markets comes with a territory of high praise when great, but even larger scrutiny when failure occurs. It's much like playing for the Hanshin Tigers where the media will nitpick everything they see, nothing can be hidden. 

While the Rex Sox have had success with Japanese players of the past in Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa and Hideaki Okajima, most historians would say Daisuke Matsuzaka was a disappointment. Even though he won that 2007 Japan Series and even has an RBI hit to show off his batting skills, the injuries and condition didn't make it worth his contact as that team was already loaded. 

Boston fans are like animals being hungry for success. Any shortcomings and the rage gets amplified.  Patience won't come easy and with his contract already having five years, they expect the best as soon as possible.

Even at age 29, he doesn't exactly have upside and will need to be an impact sooner than later. Can he succeed? Sure. However, with the state of the team and the questions of Yoshida's abilities, there's no guarantee he'll be successful being in this market.

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

Seibu Lions sign David MacKinnon

 

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions reached an agreement with infielder David MacKinnon on Tuesday as Ken Rosenthal first reported. It became official later in the day. 

MacKinnon, 28, appeared in 22 MLB games combined with both the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics last season. 

He made his debut with the Angels after having a strong season in AAA Salt Lake City. As a result of being called up, he was teammates with Shohei Ohtani for about two months and recorded seven hits in 64 at-bats. 

After being designated for assignment in August, he was claimed off waivers by the Oakland A's. After a decent week in AAA Las Vegas, the A's started him twice and he appeared in only six games, mostly as a defensive replacement. 

MacKinnon was teammates with now-Hanshin Tigers IF Sheldon Neuse and was even on the field when the latter was a pitcher briefly. He was designated for assignment after the 2022 season an non-tendered by the A's. 

In his combined AAA season, he had a slashline of .318/.416/.585 with 15 home runs in 79 games. 

He was originally a 32nd round draft pick of the Angels in 2017 out of college.

While MacKinnon played only 3B and 1B at the MLB level, he's capable of playing outfield. The Lions can slot him in left field where Brian O'Grady was last season or can have him be a 3B hoping to find a consistent bat. MacKinnon should also spell Hotaka Yamakawa at 1B if they want an all-defense in the late innings. 

MacKinnon is the second foreign signing by the Lions after Jesus Tinoco.

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

Lions sign P Jesus Tinoco

 

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions announced they signed RHP Jesus Tinoco on Thursday. He will wear No. 54. 

Tinoco, who will turn 28 in April, was on the Texas Rangers last season. He earned a MLB roster spot for most of the second half and has a strong September.  However, his primary highlight was being the pitcher to give up Aaron Judge's last home run of the year, his 62nd which is now a single-season American League record. 

With a decent September, Tinoco even earned some opener starts as the Rangers were in the midst of transition and cleaning house with the firing of both their manager Chris Woodward and head of baseball operations Jon Daniels. They recently passed the torch to Chris Young, who has a general manager title in name only before Daniels was dismissed. 

He also had two separate stints with the Colorado Rockies and one with Miami Marlins. His career began as an international free agent signing with the Toronto Blue Jays organization until he was traded to Colorado in 2015 as part of a deal involving Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Reyes. 

As a pitcher for the Lions, Tinoco could through as fast as 97 mph (157 km/H) which sounds nice in velocity on paper. Besides a four-seam fastball, he can throw a curve ball, slider and sinker. 

The Lions will most likely slot him as a reliever as a possible bridge before the closer position with Kaima Taira going into the rotation. He should be depth to go with Yoshinobu Mizukami and Keisuke Honda (dubbed H&M) as setup men.

Tinoco is the first foreign signing by the Lions in this offseason and only the third on the roster to go with Dietrich Enns and Bo Takahashi. 

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

Lions acquire Cho as Mori free agent compensation

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions announced their decision on Thursday to select RHP Yaku Cho (Yi Chang) as the free agent compensation selection from the Orix Buffaloes for the loss of Tomoya Mori.

Cho, who will be 29 in February, was both a spot starter and relief pitcher for the Buffaloes from 2019-2022. Most recently, he recorded a 2.38 ERA in 15 ichi-gun games, 22.2 innings with the Buffaloes in 2022. 

Due to the high competition of depth with Orix pitchers, he fell out of favor with other relievers taking his spot. His career-high of innings in 2020 reached 48 in 13 games of work.

Originally, Cho drafted as an outfielder in the Ikusei draft of 2016. At the farm level, he transitioned to being a pitcher in the middle of 2018 and switched his position registration in 2019, eventually earning a promotion from ikusei that year. 

The Lions hope he can be an ichi-gun contributor in the bullpen or starting rotation in 2023. His salary for 2023 will be about ¥12 million. 

While Cho was born and raised in Taiwan, he doesn't count as a foreigner because he graduated from both high school and university in Japan. 

===

Track record:

The Lions have taken a player who they think can help immediately since 2013. Cho fits the quota as compared from past yrars. Here are the previous free agent compensation decisions when given the opportunity:

2013: 

P Taiki Nakago from the China Lotte Marines after losing Hideaki Wakui

IF Ryota Wakiya from the Yomiuri Giants after losing Yasuyuki Kataoka

2016:

Cash option from the Rakuten Eagles after losing Takayuki Kishi

2017:

P Hayato Takagi from the Yomiuri Giants after losing Ryoma Nogami

2018: 

P Tetsuya Utsumi from the Yomiuri Giants after losing Ginjiro Sumitani

Cash option from the Rakuten Eagles after losing Hideto Asamura

2022: 

P Yaku Cho from the Orix Buffaloes after losing Tomoya Mori

===

With Mori as a Type A free agent, the Lions picked the option of half of Mori's 2022 ¥210 million salary at ¥105 million combined with an unprotected player. 

Alternatively, they could've taken the 80% salary option which was ¥168 million.

Orix sent their list to the Lions on December 9. A total of 28 players were protected by Orix and foreigners did not apply to this list. 

Playing with the roster and who was available, here was our mock protection list:

Pitchers:

(13 protected): Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Hiroya Miyagi, Taisuke Yamaoka, Daiki Tajima, Yoshihisa Hirano, Ren Mukunoki, Shota Abe, Yuki Udagawa, Soichiro Yamazaki, Motoki Higa, Hitomi Honda, Taisuke Kondo, Yuta Kuroki

Available: Ryota Muranishi, Daichi Takeyasu, Kohei Suzuki, Yuito Mae, Kaede Yokoyama, Atsuya Kogita, Nobuyoshi Yamada, Taisei Urishihara, Shunpeita Yamashita, Ryo Yoshida, Kohei Azuma, Yaku Cho

Most of the pitchers listed are no-brainers. One could debate that Hirano was available if they think he's too old and not valuable enough to protect for someone younger. However, he was an important closer for the team last season.

===

Catchers:

(2 protected): Kenya Wakatsuki, Yuma Tongu 

Available: Ryo Ishikawa, Takuma Nakagawa, Sho Fukunaga

The Buffaloes recently acquired Ryo Ishikawa in a trade with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. They needed to protect him if they saw value, but given the Lions situation, it's doubtful they would pluck Ishikawa of all players. 

Orix also lost Torai Fushimi in domestic free agency, but Tongu and Wakatsuki were no-brainers to protect here. 

====

Infielders:

(6 protected): Yuma Mune, Keita Nakagawa, Ryoichi Adachi, Tomoya Noguchi, Ryo Ota, Kotaro Kurebayashi

Available: Ryota Ishioka, Masahiro Nishino, Koji Oshiro, Tatsuya Yamaashi, Seiichiro Oshita, Sho Gibo

The infield is also clear cut on who to keep. Adachi is up there in age, but he had value to the team last season. Everyone else protected saw significant ichi-gun time to be protected. 

Nishino was the interesting option as he didn't play much, yet when healthy, he can be an effective bat on the infield. His issue is not staying healthy.

===

Outfielders:

(7 protected): Masataka Yoshida, Shuhei Fukuda, Kodai Sano, Yutaro Sugimoto, Ryoto Kita, Ryoma Ikeda, Haruto Watanabe

Available: Kendai Gen, Yuya Oda, Takahiro Okada, Yukikazu Sano

Despite Yoshida being posted and reaching an agreement with the Boston Red Sox, he didn't sign the dotted line and the transaction couldn't officially go through when the protected list was sent on December 9. His agreement was pending a physical. 

The Lions would have gotten the posting fee money if Yoshida was unprotected and they claimed him.

This opened the door for an extra player being exposed as a result since they needed to protect him in order for the posting process to go through. If anyone was rooting for chaos, it would have been a silly scenario if Yoshida was unprotected.

Everyone else from Sugimoto and Fukuda are clear cut starters to frequent options off the bench. This is unit doesn't haven't the most value for the Lions to claim.

Takahiro Okada was potentially the most famous name available, but he's also past his prime and it was a tempting marketing option for the Lions much like how they saw Tetsuya Utsumi from the Giants.  Okada had a marginal 2020 and his last great season was 2017. 

===

Factoring who was on the Japan Series team for 2022, it easy to come up with several pitchers for this protected list while some guys were exposed for having a good 2021, but not the best 2022. 

Personally had Ryo Yoshida, Nobuyoshi Yamada and even Kohei Suzuki as options among the pitchers available. Might have been tempted to go for Nishino given he fell out of favor, but relieved the Lions didn't select Okada for the marketing purposes. 

Yamashita could have been an interesting option too if unprotected, given he was a former first round pick and is in his early 20s, but we'll assume the pitcher position was mostly protected. 

===

We also polled our Japanese following on Twitter. 

オリックスからの補償は何がいい？

What do you want as compensation for the loss of Mori?

拡散してください @64Uni_Lions@nerimamo @Cape_Lions #森友哉 #seibulions #埼玉西武ライオンズ #bs2022

— Graveyard Baseball (@GraveyardBall) November 15, 2022

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

2023 Seibu Lions Salary List

 

===

December is a month of salary negotiations for all teams. Here are the reported figures for the Seibu Lions: 

This list will continue to update as time goes on. 

Legend: 

^ - Raise

|v| - Paycut

= - Same wages

R = Coming off their first game or season at the ichi-gun.

AVG/OBP/SLG for position players. 
 

===

Pitchers: 

Tatsushi Masuda: ¥300 million =; (2-5), 2.45 ERA, 31 SV in 52 games, 51.1 innings

Masuda is entering the third of a four-year contract. 

Kona Takahashi: ¥180 million, ^ by ¥70 million; (12-8), 2.20 ERA in 26 games, 175.2 innings

Kaima Taira: ¥170 million ^ by ¥70 million; (1-3), 1.56 ERA, 34 HLD, 9 SV in 54 games, 57.2 innings

Dietrich Enns: ¥170 million ^ by ¥70 million; (10-7), 2.94 ERA in 23 games, 122.1 innings

Katsunori Hirai: ¥80 million [^] by ¥12 million; (6-8), 4.22 ERA, 2 HLDS in 30 games, 81 innings

Wataru Matsumoto: ¥65 million, ^ by ¥11 million, (7-6), 3.19 ERA in 21 games, 129.2 innings

Tatsuya Imai: ¥45 million, [v] by ¥6 million, (5-1), 2.41 ERA in 9 games, 59.2 innings

Imai will have his jersey number changed from #11 to #48.

(R) Yoshinobu Mizukami: ¥40 million ^ by ¥30 million, (4-4), 1.77 ERA, 31 HLD, 1 SV in 60 games, 56 innings

Mizukami also won Pacific League Rookie of the year

Ryosuke Moriwaki: ¥40 million ^ by ¥5 million, (1-1), 10 HLD, 1.72 ERA, 1 SV in 43 games, 36.2 innings

Katsuhiko Kumon: ¥36 million [v] by ¥4.5 million, (0-0), 0.00 ERA, 7 HLD in 18 games, 9 innings

Bo Takahashi: ¥35 million ^ by ¥15 million, (0-0), 2.56 ERA, 2 HLD in 27 games, 31.2 innings

Kaito Yoza: ¥33 million ^ by ¥22 million (10-7), 2.88 ERA in 15 games, 115.2 innings 

Keisuke Honda: ¥30 million [v] by ¥17.4 million; (4-2), 20 HLD, 1.97 ERA in 45 games, 50.1 innings

Tetsu Miyagawa: ¥25 million [^] by ¥6 million; (1-0), 1 SV, 1 HLD, 2.59 ERA in 45 games, 48.2 innings

(R) Chihiro Sumida: ¥20 million, ^ by ¥4 million; (1-10), 3.75 ERA in 16 games, 81.2 innings

Takeru Sasaki: ¥20 million ^ by ¥6.5 million; (3-0), 3.03 ERA, in 37 games, 29.2 innings

(R) Shunsuke Sato: ¥16 million ^ by ¥3.5 million; (3-4), 4.60 ERA in 12 games, 47 innings

Shota Hamaya: ¥10 million [v] by ¥3.1 million; (5-4), 5.38 ERA in 14 ni-gun games

Ichiro Tamura: ¥10 million [v] by ¥2.5 million; (0-0), 6.00 ERA in three games, 3 innings

Yutaro Watanabe: ¥8.5 million [v] by ¥1.5 million ; (1-1), 6.08 ERA in 3 games, 13.1 innings

Ren Omagari: ¥8 million [v] by ¥1 million; (0-0), 6.35 ERA in six games, 5.2 innings

Masaya Kuroda: ¥6.5 million =; (1-3), 8.20 ERA in 10 ni-gun games

Shinnosuke Hada: ¥6 million =; (0-2), 7.04 ERA in five ni-gun games

Koki Matsuoka: ¥6 million [v] by ¥1.5 million; (1-4), 5.95 ERA in 31 ni-gun games

Hiroki Inoue: ¥5.4 million [v] by ¥1.3 million, (2-0), 2.00 ERA in five ni-gun games

===

Infielders:

Sosuke Genda: ¥300 million ^ by ¥110 million; .266/.317/.338, 2 HR in 108 games

Genda signed a five-year extension through 2027

Hotaka Yamakawa: ¥270 million ^ by ¥140 million; .266/.375/.578, 41 HR in 129 games

Yamakawa has domestic free agent rights after 2023

Takeya Nakamura: ¥200 million =; .196/.241/.355, 12 HR in 88 games

Shuta Tonosaki: ¥160 million ^ by ¥56 million; .215/.295/.356, 12 HR in 132 games

Tonosaki signed a four-year contract through 2026, avoiding domestic free agency

Nien Ting Wu: ¥28 million ^ by ¥3 million; .227/.322/.327, 5 HR in 94 games

Shota Hiranuma: ¥15 million ^ by ¥1 million; .260/.356/.342, 1 HR in 30 games 

Kento Watanabe: ¥12 million [v] by ¥4 million; .184/.295/.321, 10 HR in 97 ni-gun games 

Ryusei Sato: ¥11 million ^ by ¥1.2 million; .115/.175/.167, 1 HR in 37 games with Fighters

Kakeru Yamanobe: ¥10.7 million [v] by ¥1.3 million ; .152/.200/.242, 0 HR in 30 games

Ryota Kawano: ¥7.5 million ^ by ¥1 million; .143/.125/.143, 0 HR in five games, Made ichi-gun debut

Natsuo Takizawa: ¥7.5 million ^ by ¥2.8 million; .224/.258/.271, 0 HR in 48 games, made ichi-gun debut, promoted from ikusei

Seigo Nakayama: ¥7 milllion =; .000/.000/.000, 0 HR in 1 game, made ichi-gun debut

Takayoshi Yamamura: ¥7 million =; .297/.332/.365, 0 HR in 60 ni-gun games

Brandon Tysinger: ¥7 million [v] by ¥2 million ; .345/.429/.564, 2 HR in 19 ni-gun games 

===

Outfielders: 

Takumi Kuriyama: ¥179 million =; .264/.326/.360, 3 HR in 89 games

Yuji Kaneko: ¥126 million =; .277/.323/.370, 1 HR in 44 games

Kaneko enters the final year of a four-year contract. 

"Aito" Takeda: ¥33 million ^ by ¥13 million ; .243/.266/.369, 9 HR in 121 games

Shohei Suzuki: ¥15 million ^ by ¥6.4 million; .250/.279/.321, 1 HR in 58 games

Junichiro Kishi: ¥14.5 million [v] by ¥1.5 million ; .205/.284/.356, 2 HR in 45 games

Seiji Kawagoe: ¥14 million ^ by ¥2 million ; .259/.346/.381, 2 HR in 50 games

Gakuto Wakabayashi: ¥12.2 million [v] by ¥1.8 million ; .207/.258/.207, 0 HR in 28 games 

Manaya Nishikawa: ¥8.5 million ^ by ¥700K ; .000/.000/.000, 0 HR in 35 games

Wataru Takagi: ¥7.5 million ^ by ¥1 million ; .111/.195/.111, 0 HR in 13 games

Shinya Hasegawa: ¥6.7 million ^ by ¥2 million .185/.221/.246, 0 HR in 37 games, made ichi-gun debut, promoted from ikusei

Yuta Nakamigawa: ¥6 million =; .188/.289/.453, 9 HR in 47 ni-gun games 

===

Catchers: 

Masatoshi Okada: ¥30 million =; .000/.000/.000,  HR in one game

Sena Tsuge: ¥20 million ^ by ¥5 million; .173/.202/.250, 1 HR in 42 games

(R) Yuto Koga: ¥15 million ^ by ¥2.5 million; .155/.265/.241, 1 HR in 26 games

Shoya Makino: ¥7.4 million ^ by ¥1.7 million ; .137/.194/.207, 0 HR in 11 games

Makino will be under an ikusei contract recovering from injury

Masato Saito: ¥5.8 million ^ by ¥500K ; .000/.000/.000, 0 HR in 1 game

Daichi Nakaguma: ¥4.5 million =; .000/.000/.000, 0 HR in 1 game, Made ichi-gun debut, promoted from ikusei

===

===

Ikusei: 

Towa Uema: ¥5 million [v] by ¥1.5 million,  No games recorded in 2022

Sho Ito: ¥5.3 million [v] by ¥1.7 million; No games recorded in 2022

Kaito Awatsu: ¥5.3 million =; (0-0), 3.38 ERA in 10 ni-gun games 

Hiromasa Saito: ¥5 million [v] by ¥5 million; (1-4), 9.56 ERA in 14 ni-gun games

Toshihiro Idei: ¥4 million = ; (2-6), 5.52 ERA in 28 ni-gun games

Taishi Mameda: ¥2.8 million =; (3-6), 3.76 ERA in 18 ni-gun games

Yuto Akagami: ¥4.7 million =; (3-3), 3.27 ERA in 23 ni-gun games

Shinya Sugai: ¥2.8 million =; (0-0), 3.00 ERA in three ni-gun games

Joseph Ken Miyamoto: ¥4 million =; .187/.221/.253, 1 HR in 43 ni-gun games 

Takeru Furuichi: ¥2.8 million =; .179/.303/.214, 0 HR in 15 ni-gun games

=== 

2022 Draft picks with uniform numbers listed:

Main Draft

1. OF #9 Takuya Hiruma: ¥16 million, ¥100 million signing bonus with up to ¥50 million in incentives

2. OF #33 Yudai Furukawa: ¥7.5 million, ¥70 million signing bonus 　

3. C #38 Kaito Noda: ¥6.5 million, ¥50 million signing bonus 

4. P #29 Minato Aoyama: ¥10 million, ¥40 million signing bonus 

5. P #36 Haruto Yamada: ¥7 million, ¥25 million signing bonus　

6. IF #0 Ryosuke Kodama ¥10 million, ¥30 million signing bonus 　

Keep in mind education affects the salary.  Aoyama came out of college while Kodama is a shakaijin from the industrial leagues. 

Ikusei Draft

1. IF #118 Kazuki Nomura ¥3.2 million, ¥3.5 million signing bonus 

2. OF #119 Montell Higuma ¥4 million, ¥3.5 million signing bonus 

3. P #121 Daiki Miura ¥4 million, ¥3.5 million signing bonus

4. C #122 Ryosuke Koresawa ¥4 million, ¥3.5 million signing bonus 

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

Lions acquire Yohkawa, lose Matsuoka in new active player draft

 

===

NPB held its first ever Active Player Draft (現役ドラフト) this past week where the inspiration is similar to the Rule 5 Draft in MLB. 

With a slight twist in rules by comparison to the North American counterpart, each team designated two players available for any team to take. The draft order was done on a waiver wire basis similar to the regular draft in October. Up to 24 players could switch teams, but only one round occurred with nobody taking a second player. 

With many players unable to find an opportunity, the purpose of the Rule 5 is to give that chance to those who are buried and find a change of scenery. Johan Santana and Mark Canha are some of examples where a Rule 5 pick worked out in MLB.

The Saitama Seibu Lions selected IF Naomasa Yohkawa of the Hanshin Tigers with their nomination. They also lost P Kouki Matsuoka to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the process.

Yohkawa, 31, was mostly a bench player for the Hanshin Tigers and spent many years as a survivor from being cut after each season. 

Last year, he was a primarily a pinch-hitter against left-handed pitchers and hit .357 in that situation. In a limited 45 games, he slashed .294/.351/.426 in only 68 at-bats.

Only two seasons has he appeared in more than 70 ichi-gun regular season games. Our friends @thehanshintiger said his defense is not the greatest. 

With the Lions lacking offense, Yohkawa is versatile enough to be a spell 3B or outfielder, but likely can't start everyday. He should be part of mix in the outfield if the Lions play the matchups properly while also giving others a break. His estimated salary for 2023 is ¥22 million. 

Matsuoka, 22, was a third round draft pick out of the independent Baseball Challenge League back in 2019. His 3/4 arm slot was inspired by former Yakult Swallows pitcher Yong-Chang Lim.

 However, his time with the Lions has been limited to seven ichi-gun games in mop up duty with little hope in sight. With the Lions bullpen options being stacked last year, he failed to play an ichi-gun game. He will seek a new opportunity with the Fighters. 

===

Compensation list has arrived

The Orix Buffaloes sent their FA compensation list to the Lions on December 9 and Hisanobu "Nabe-Q" Watanabe has said he looked at it already. While Masataka Yoshida reached an agreement to sign with the Boston Red Sox, he hasn't signed the contract since Orix sent the list or protected across to the Lions. 

There are 28 players the Lions cannot claim and it's very likely the Buffaloes had to protect Yoshida even though he was already posted, this protecting only 27 players eligible for 2023. There should be options available. It's possible we could do a mock list if time permits. 

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

Oakland A's / Seibu Lions Series: Burch Smith

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions came off a disastrous 2021, where it was their first last place finish in 42 years. An overhaul took place with every import player being let go. 

Another former Oakland A's player emerged as part of the new group of foreign players hoping to make an impact in 2022. 

Burch Smith

Tenures: 2020-2021 with the Oakland Athletics, 2022 with the Seibu Lions 

Statistics with Oakland: 37 games, (3-1), 55.1 IP, 3.81 FIP, 1.229 WHIP, 6.7 K/9

Statistics with Lions: 20 games, (1-0), 38.1 IP, 3.29 ERA, 1.146 WHIP, 8.7 K/9

Born and raised through several areas in Texas, Burch Smith worked his way up initially through the Junior College path before transferring to the University of Oklahoma. He was even drafted in the 49th round by the Cleveland Indians in 2009 and 20th round in 2010 even though he didn't sign. 

The San Diego Padres drafted him in the 11th round of 2011 and he made his MLB debut in 2013 being called straight up from AA with 10 appearances. 

After not making an MLB game in 2014, he was a piece of a larger three-team trade that sent him to the Tampa Bay Rays which involved Wil Myers, Jose Castillo and Steven Souza. 

Smith underwent Tommy John surgery to miss the 2015 season and only appeared for the Rays at the minor league level in 2017.

He became a Rule 5 draft pick of the Mets I'm December 2017 and was traded to the Kansas City Royals, staying on their MLB roster for the entire 2018 season. In 38 games, he started six of them with a 1-6 record and 6.92 ERA. The Royals designated him for assignment in 2018.

Smith entered 2019 on a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He made seven MLB appearances before the team designated him for assignment again. 

The San Francisco Giants claimed him off waivers in August of 2019 where he recorded a 2.08 ERA in 10 games. He was once again designated for assignment after the season.

With the assignment time nearly expired, the Giants traded Smith to the Oakland Athletics for cash considerations. This trade was an interesting footnote in history because it was the first time sending any major league player in a trade for both teams involved since 1990, when Darren Lewis was swapped for Ernest Riles. 

Previously there were waiver claims and minor league transactions, but it broke the longest trade drought among any two MLB teams. 

With Oakland in a shortened 2020, Smith looked promising out of the bullpen to take innings and be a versatile reliever. However, a strained forearm cut his season short and he only appeared in six games. 

For 2021, Smith was part of a bullpen by committee in Oakland and took mostly medium to low leverage innings.  He recorded a 5.40 ERA in 43.1 innings of work and was designated for assignment in the final month of the season.

By 2022, the Seibu Lions called his name and he hoped to get a fresh start. He already had a friendship connection with the outgoing Zach Neal as he found as much information as he could before coming to Japan. 

A late arrival with no spring training, Smith made one of the best debuts for any foreigner coming to Japan. He threw seven innings without a hit allowed and only one walk. The Lions took him out due to a higher pitch count and lower velocity, where it was broken up in the eighth inning.

Smith success was short lived as he spent two months injured with a right arm discomfort. He came back shortly again only to have COVID-19 and be off the ichi-gun roster again. 

With Kaima Taira, Tatsushi Masuda and Yoshinobu Mizukami struggling in August, the Lions asked Smith to take some load in relief. He had a strong outing once with three relief innings and ate up the slack a few starters couldn't pitch.

This was also short lived as he couldn't retain his role as a setup man while Taira and Mizukami returned to form. 

When the year was over, Smith entered with uncertainty. The Lions presented an offer, but both sides couldn't come to an agreement as Smith wanted to be a starting pitcher and the team preferred him as a reliever. 

For 2023, Smith signed with the Hanwha Eagles of KBO, reuniting him with Lions teammate Brian O'Grady as they were on the same team once again. His time in Korea was short lived where he only appeared in one ichi-gun game before a shoulder injury took him out in the third inning.

The Eagles released him in late April after they found a replacement for their import slot on the roster. He appeared in 12 games for the Gigantes del Cibao in the  Dominican Winter Leagues at the conclusion of 2023. 

For 2024, he signed a minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. 

===

Others in Series:

Mateo "Matty" Alou

John Wasdin

Jose Ortiz

Ty Van Burkleo

Taylor Duncan

Roger Repoz

Jim Tyrone

Esteban German

Hiram Bocachica

Dee Brown

Neil Wagner 

Sean Nolin

Brian Schlitter 

Zach Neal

David MacKinnon

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

Lions win awards, make decisions on all imports

 

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions players received three specific Awards for the concluded 2022 season. Sosuke Genda and Shuta Tonosaki received a golden glove while Yoshinobu Mizukami won the Pacific League Rookie of the year award. 

For Genda, it was his 5th consecutive award while it was Tonosaki's second. Mizukami shocked the NPB world by being a reliable reliever in the 7th inning for much of the year. He even won a monthly MVP award in 2022.

===

Foreigners returning

The Lions decided the fate for all five imports last season. Jantzen Witte and Brian O'Grady were first informed they were being let go without an offer.

Witte was unable to stay at the ichi-gun for a lengthy amount of time and an injury slowed his start.

O'Grady was second on the team in home runs with 15, but he couldn't hit one by the time it was late August as the team won without his offensive contributions. It was a tale of two halves. 

Dietrich Enns and Bo Takahashi will both return in 2023 with contracts.  Enns was a solid middle of the rotation starting pitcher capable of going 5-6 innings each time. Takahashi was a mop up pitcher, but his age and  low cost proved to be something the team valued in hoping he can develop.  

Lastly Burch Smith was let go after both sides couldn't decide on an agreement.  The Lions wanted Smith as a reliever while he preferred to be a starter. Smith ended up missing several months of action due to various injuries and even left two starts early. 

With limited health concerns, the Lions didn't give him an offer. 

Salary negotiations are currently happening for all teams and the Lions reached multiple contract extensions.

Shuta Tonosaki and Sosuke Genda will be under team control through the 2026 season as the latter received a five-year contract and the former a four-year. 

Genda would have been a domestic free agent after 2023 if he wasn't locked up while Tonosaki reached free agent rights after the 2022 season. 

==

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

Mori signs with Orix, Lions await compensation

 

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions suffered another loss in free agency with Tomoya Mori choosing to sign with the Orix Buffaloes on Tuesday.  An official announcement will come later today from Orix. 

It was reported his contract will be worth four years, ¥1.6 billion (less than $16 million). This is the largest free agent contract in franchise history, surpassing what Hiroyuki Nakajima and Hirotoshi Matsui made in the past.

Mori, 27, has won a batting title and Pacific League MVP in the past after being shunned and rejected by several teams in the 2013 NPB Draft.

Many saw Mori as a hitter who had no position in the field, yet it was Hatushiko Tsuji who was able to make him a full time catcher. He also had character concerns at the time of the draft.

With Mori being a Type A free agent, the Lions will receive some form of compensation whether it's more money or money and an unprotected player of choice. 

Orix will have 28 protected players, where foreign imports won't be listed either. Historically speaking, the Lions have tried to acquire someone who can help sooner than later and likely won't take a prospect. 

The Lions catcher situation will look better defensively with Sena Tsuge and Yuto Koga behind the plate, but the offensive production won't be the same. 

In many ways, the Lions have already braced for this given they drafted four catchers, ikusei included, in the last five drafts. 

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

Mori files for free agency

 

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions offseason began for real after the Orix Buffaloes won their first Japan Series under their current name.

For the Lions, they already enter a hole with Tomoya Mori filing for domestic free agency this week, leaving him open to anyone. The Buffaloes and Yokohama DeNA Baystars are rumored to be interested in his services. 

It was reported that the Lions offered him a four-year contract, but it's not up to them anymore on what Mori wants. 

The Lions were able to make him a full -time catcher in 2017 and things paid off. He previously won a batting title in 2021 and his best season came in 2019 where he had 23 home runs combined with an OPS above .900.  

His 2022 was a slow season where he only hit .251/.328/.391 and eight home runs. He even missed a month of playing time due to punching a locker in frustration.  

With Mori wanting to test the market, we're going to assume he's as good as gone. The Lions have a notorious track record of being cheap or possibly being a place that players don't want to stay for their whole career.

Last season, Yuto Koga and Sena Tsuge picked up the slack when Mori was out. Both guys are capable of being starting catchers in rotation.  The offense won't be attractive at catcher, but there are other positions that need to hit.

===

Tonosaki stays around

Shuta Tonosaki also reached domestic free agency, but chose to stay with the Lions signing a four-year contract. His bat was not the most attractive, but the defense in the middle with Sosuke Genda saved many games, bringings his WAR north of 4.0.  

With his bat not being the greatest since 2020, the Lions had the leverage to keep him around at a cost they preferred. 

This past year, he was an everyday starting 2B slashing a line of .215/.295/.356 with 12 HRs. 

===

Yamada traded, Sato returns

In an interesting trade, the Lions traded with the Nippon-Ham Fighters sending IF Haruka Yamada in exchange for IF Ryusei Sato. 

Sato, who will turn 26 this January, was originally drafted by the Lions in 2018. The Lions traded him along with Fumikazu Kimura to the Fighters in the middle of the 2021 season in return for Katsuhiko Kumon and Shota Hiranuma.

The biggest highlight of Sato's career in Hokkaido with breaking up a no-hitter with two outs against Orix Buffaloes pitcher Ren Mukunoki.  In 37 ichi-gun games, Sato slashed .115/.175/.167 with one home run. 

Yamada was a reserve infielder who was mostly a defensive replacement. He saw some starts at both 3B and SS, especially when Sosuke Genda was out. In 74 ichi-gun games last season, Yamada slashed .200/.270/.225. 

Despite his limited playing time, Yamada was known for his colorful personality with gimmicks and humor. 

From excessive celebrations off the bench to comical introductions of manager Hatushiko Tsuji, he was the one to showboat. It's possible his personality should fit right in with Big Boss Shinjo out in Hokkaido. 

===

Final cuts announced

As all NPB teams had to announce their players not returning for 2023, the Lions mostly let go of their ikusei contract players while some veterans retired, saving a few from being cut. 

Yasuo Sano and OF Daisuke Togawa were announced as the last senryokugai (戦力外) during the Japan Series. 

Sano, 29, mostly ate up innings in middle relief and mop up duty. He only saw two ichi-gun games in 2022 while his career could never be consistent at the top level. An injury sidelined him in 2017 when he had promise.

Togawa, 26, was a former iksuei draft pick who earned a promotion after the 2015 season. His best highlight was a game-tying home run in 2019 off Kota Futaki as he appeared in a total of 28 ichi-gun games from 2019-2022. 

Here is the following list of 戦力外:

*Denotes under Ikusei contract 

P Yasuo Sano

OF Daisuke Togawa

P Tetsuya Utsumi (Retiring, returning as a coach)

P Ken Togame (Retiring)

P Shota Takekuma (Retiring)

C Shoya Makino (coming off surgery, could be under iksuei contract) 

P Hiromasa Saito*

P Kaito Awatsu*

P Sho Ito*

P Towa Uema*

P Toshihiro Idei*

OF Masato Kumashiro (retiring, returning as a coach)

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall

2022 NPB Draft: A summary of each Lions pick

 

The Saitama Seibu Lions and all 11 other NPB teams took part in the NPB Draft on October 20. Everyone felt they got better, removing some deadweight while picking up some fresh blood in the process. Here is a summary of each Lions draft pick:

===

OF Takuya Hiruma (蛭間 拓哉)

College: Waseda University (Tokyo)

High School: Urawa Gakuin (Saitama)

Date of Birth: September 8, 2000

Height: 177 cm (5' 9")

Weight: 87kg (192 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

After the Lions made their intention to go for Hiruma, no one tried to contest this pick as they got him unopposed. 

Hiruma was one of the most accomplished university sluggers in this year's class. A member of the U18 Samurai Japan, he showed the potential for base running speed, hitting for average and power. Some could argue he has enough to be a five-tool player where he doesn't have a major weakness in any category. 

In 56 total games at university, he had a .276 batting average with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs in 50 starts. Hiruma was the cleanup hitter and can primarily play in Centerfield and Right Field. He can run to first base in about 4.2 seconds. 

Before high school, he was a member of the Lions junior team. At Urawa Gakuin, he was teammates with Lions pitcher Yutaro Watanabe. 

If everything goes right, he could be an instant impact player for a Lions team that's missing a key piece or core player in the outfield. They're hoping he can do it all. 

Team quote: "He's an outfielder from the Lions junior team with a high level of offense and defense. With his power hitting and all-out play, we expect him to be a regular earlier than usual."

===

OF Yudai Furukawa (古川 雄大)

High School: Saiki Kakujo (Oita)

Date of Birth: May 25, 2004

Height: 186 cm (6' 1")

Weight: 90 kg (198 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Furukawa is a two-way player with a strong swing. His top velocity as a pitcher is 145 KM/H. He had strong measurements for throwing and running as he reached first base in 4.3 seconds. He can run 50 meters in 5.9 seconds. 

With no Koshien Tournament experience, he made an impression during the Oita prefecture qualifiers in four games played as Centerfield and as the cleanup hitter. 

His style of play is inspired by Yuki Yanagita of the Softbank Hawks. He hopes to be of his caliber in the future and even has the nickname "Oitagita."

In gridiron football terms, Furukawa is an Al Davis kind of player with all the great athletic measurements which can't be coached. He has the potential to be a power hitter if he can develop his bat in the long run. 

Trivially, he was born to a Japanese father and Filipino mother. He also shares the same name as a celebrity actor/singer talent. 

Team quote: "He is a top class athlete who can become a regular outfielder in the future."

===

C Kaito Noda (野田 海人)

High School: Kyushu Kokusai (Fukuoka)

Date of Birth: March 18, 2005

Height: 174 cm (5' 9")

Weight: 78 kg (172 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Noda is another two-way player drafted as a catcher. His top velocity as a pitcher is 145 km/h. By the time it was his senior season, he primarily served as the team captain and was at catcher with a pop speed of 1.9 seconds. 

Last September, he was also on the U18 Samurai Japan with Hiruma as a relief pitcher. His school also qualified for the 2022 Summer Koshien where he was the cleanup hitter. His bat wasn't the greatest in production, but scouts saw his physical form and swing to draw attention. 

He can reach first base in about 4.5 seconds. Long term, he could develop into a starting catcher. 

Team quote: "He is a catcher with excellent footwork and throwing skills. Should be competing in a few years."

===

P Minato Aoyama (青山 美夏人)

College: Asia (Tokyo)

High School: Yokohama Hayato (Kanagawa)

Date of Birth: July 19, 2000

Height: 183 cm (6' 0")

Weight: 94 kg (207 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Aoyama was an accomplished college pitcher by his senior season, where he excelled as a starting pitcher. In his four years and playing 30 recorded games, he has a 1.77 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 116.2 innings. He was an ERA leader in his senior year and performed well in the national university tournament to draw scouts attention. 

His max velocity is 151 km/h where he's constantly north of 140 km/h. Besides a fastball, he can throw a curve, slider, splitter and two-seamer. While he is experienced as both a reliever and starter, the Lions think he can be the latter as he showed his strengths last year.

A plus for Aoyama is how he's a control pitcher. 

Team quote: "He is a full-fledged right-hander who has the power to throw a fastball to amaximum of 150 km/h. There are high hopes for him as a starting pitcher because of his variety of curve and breaking balls."

===

P Haruto Yamada (山田 陽翔)

High School: Ohmi (Shiga)

Date of Birth: May 9, 2004

Height: 175 cm (5' 9")

Weight: 78 kg (172 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Yamada is a two-way player who could also be in the outfield, but drafted as a pitcher.  He famously carried his team in this past Summer Koshien Tournament to the semifinals and was a relief pitcher in their semifinal appearance in 2021. 

As a pitcher, he can top out at 149 km/h with several breaking balls in his arsenal. Specifically, he's best with vertical and horizontal cutters. 

As a runner, he can reach first base in 4.4 seconds and had 30 total home runs in his high school career.  Since he's a Koshien Tournament darling, Yamada should have a decent following behind him as they're now Lions fans. Someday, the Lions hope to see him as an ichi-gun regular. 

Team quote: "He had a great amount of fighting spirit and courage on the mound during his Koshien Tournament play. I feel he'll have a variety of pitches in the future."

===

IF Ryosuke Kodama (児玉 亮涼)

Industrial League Team: Osaka Gas (Osaka)

College: Kyushu Sangyo (Fukuoka)

High School: Buntoku (Kumamoto)

Date of Birth: July 10, 1998

Height: 166 cm (5' 5")

Weight: 65 kg (143 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Kodama was the starting shortstop for Osaka Gas where he hit second in the lineup. He's a light hitting player with decent speed, but his defense is the primary strength. 

He can run 50 meters in 5.9 seconds and reach first base in 4.2 seconds. His playing style is similar to Hirokazu Ibata, remembered for being with the Chunichi Dragons. 

In the short term, he looks like a defensive replacement and pinch runner. 

Team Quote: "Despite his small stature, he is a high-level player with an excellent intelligence for baseball. His swing is compact and can specialize against breaking pitches."

===

Ikusei

IF Kazuki Nomura (野村 和輝)

Independent League Team: Ishikawa Million Stars (BC League, Ishikawa)

High School: Higashi Osaka Kashiwara (Osaka)

Date of Birth: June 7, 2003

Height: 183 cm (6' 0")

Weight: 93 kg (205 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Nomura is a two-way player who can also play in the outfield. Since joining the Million Stars, he was a regular third baseman, but also right fielder. 

In 55 starts within the BC League, he has a .246 batting average, two he runs and 20 RBIs while playing multiple positions. 

As a pitcher, he can hit up to 151 km/h with a fastball, slider, curve, splitter and fork in his arsenal. He only pitched once in the BC League. 

With his versatility on not having an affirmed position, the Lions can develop him into somewhere that makes sense. 

Team quote: "He's a big infielder, a long-range and has a bright future ahead of him."

===

OF Montell Higuma (日隈 モンテル)

Independent League Team: Tokushima Indigo Socks (Tokushima, Shikoku Island League)

High School: Konko Osaka (Osaka)

Date of Birth: March 18, 2000

Height: 186 cm (6' 1")

Weight: 86 kg (190 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Higuma is a two-way player who primarily switched to outfield with the Indigo Socks. He also played independent baseball with the Ryukyu Blue Oceans and Shakaijin baseball with OBC Takashima in the past.

In 26 games in the Shikoku Island League, he recorded a .247 batting average and 13 stolen bases while batting second in the lineup as a centerfielder. 

Scouts caught attention to his speed as he can reach first base in 4.1 seconds. If his bat can develop, he could be a defensive replacement or pinch runner if he earns a promotion.

Born to an African-American father and Japanese mother, the latter served in the military. He is also the younger brother of former Yakult Swallows pitcher Julius Higuma (drafted in 2015, was with them from 2016-2020). 

Team quote: "He has excellent physical ability and is a player full of speed."

===

P Daiki Miura (三浦 大輝)

College: Chukyo (Aichi)

High School: Jishukan (Aichi)

Date of Birth: April 7, 2000

Height: 180 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 92 kg (203 lbs)

Throws / Bats: Right / Left

Miura is a Best IX winner who recorded a 2.02 ERA, 46 strikeouts in 80.1 innings of work in 29 games throughout his collegiate career. He has experience as both a starter and reliever. Miura was more of a reliever in his later years. 

His top velocity is 151 km/H while able to mix his repertoire with curveballs and sliders sprinkled in-between. 

Team Quote: "In addition to his powerful fastball, he also has a variety of breaking balls, and is a pitcher who can strike out hitters. There are high hopes for him as a starting pitcher and intermediate player in the future."

===

C Ryosuke Koresawa (是澤 涼輔)

College: Hosei (Tokyo)

High School: Kendai Takasaki (Gunma)

Date of Birth: April 19, 2000

Height: 178 cm (5' 10")

Weight: 79 kg (174 lbs)

Throws / Bats: Right / Right

Koresawa was mostly a backup catcher at Hosei in the Tokyo Big6. He only appeared in three games for his senior season with only one start recorded. 

The Lions liked his shoulder strength and think he can build on this through practice and getting reps. They also saw high intelligence. He can throw as far as 120 meters. 

With other catchers like Masatoshi Okada coming off surgery, the Lions have needed catchers for the farm level. 

Trivially, he's three years younger than Sena Tsuge as both attended the same high school and count as Senpai/Kohai. 

Team Quote: "The strength of his shoulders was the selling point. He will be an ambitious practice bug."

===

Overall:

The Lions drafted for need, but some could argue Hiruma was the best position player available for those lacking a bat who can make an instant impact. 

With multiple players having two-way capability, it will be interesting to see how the staff utilizes them. Yamada will be intriguing in a few years while Aoyama, Kodama and Hiruma could play sooner than later. We wish these picks the best of luck as they join the team in 2023.

===

Follow us on Twitter @GraveyardBall