Total 1.5 billion yen for 5 years + volume contract “if next year’s FA is normal”
Infielder Sosuke Genda of Seibu, who is expected to acquire domestic FA rights within the next season, signed a five-year contract on the 26th with an annual salary of 300 million yen, an increase of 110 million yen next season, and a total of 1.5 billion yen combined with sales volume (the amount is an estimate). In Seibu, there is a constant outflow of the main force due to FA, and Tomoya Mori, a regular catcher who received domestic FA rights this season, also transferred to Orix. GM Hisanobu Watanabe, head of the organization, is extremely excited.
“The agency is free next year, but I really want him to stay, so I offered him a multi-year contract a year early. I think it’s normal,” said GM Watanabe. “He is a key player in the defence, and if he misses that point, it becomes difficult for the team. I think he understands my feelings too,” he said with a sigh of relief. .
GM Watanabe served as manager for six years until 2013, after which he took over as senior director in 2014 and has been involved in the organization of the team. In 2019, he took his current title. “Gen-chan was the ninth hitter when he was an amateur (at Toyota Motor Corporation). Hitting was secondary, and I felt he would have improved if he went into the pros. He was a player and he won on defense alone.” To be honest, I didn’t think I would be able to keep a steady batting average of around 20% and 7 minutes. The professional waters are good, the coaches are good, and the players have only seen hits before the left can draw. I’ve been watching for a long time, and I have a feeling that I’ve become a player so far,” he recalled. Genda will be 34 years old in the final year of his five-year contract, but GM Watanabe is giving his applause, saying, “I’m absolutely fine. I think there’s still room for growth after that.”
Seibu’s outflow to other teams (including the United States) from FA reaches 20 people, the highest number of 12 teams, including Mori this year. After GM Watanabe entered the lead, left pitcher Takayuki Kishi (currently Rakuten), outfielder Eito Asamura (currently Rakuten), catcher Ginjiro Sumitani (currently Rakuten), and outfielder Shogo Akiyama (currently Hiroshima). It cannot be said that he is rich in funds, and he is in a difficult situation. “They all grew up in Seibu, so from my point of view, of course, I want to play with them until the end. It’s a team that is progressing in a place where opportunities are created and young people are growing, so I want to look forward without thinking only about negative things.”
On the other hand, it is also true that the number of successful retention cases is increasing little by little. In this off-season, outfielder Shuta Tonozaki, who was granted domestic FA rights during this season, decided to stay on a four-year contract. In the 2020 offseason, guardian god pitcher Tatsushi Masuda signed a 4-year contract, outfielder Takumi Kuriyama signed a 3-year contract, and last year, outfielder Takeya Nakamura signed a 2-year contract. GM Watanabe nodded, “I am very grateful. There are various conditions, including the financial aspect, but to put it simply, I wonder if the sincerity has been conveyed. “However, he is not optimistic about the future. The next big issue is how to keep midfielder Hodaka Yamakawa, the top gun expected to acquire domestic FA rights next season.
(Hirohisa Miyawaki)
