
The 28-year-old Hiroshima Carp star will become the focus of the free market. He is the second Hiroshima player to use FA in the same year after Nobuhito Morishita.
AI-generated summary
Shogo Sakakura played in 904 games in Japan for 10 seasons, accumulating 76 home runs, 371 RBIs, and an average batting average of 0.273. He was selected to the All-Star Game four times in his career. The Hiroshima team has two players of the same year using FA for the first time since 2007. That year, Hiroki Kuroda used his overseas free agent rights to challenge the major leagues, and Takahiro Arai used his domestic FA to switch to the Hanshin Tigers.
Shogo Sakakura. (File photo, taken by reporter Tu Jianrong)
[Sports Center/Comprehensive Report] Japanese media "Sports News" reported that 28-year-old Hiroshima Carp star Shogo Sakakura will announce that he will exercise his domestic free agent rights, and there are reports that Seibu Lions and Chiba Rhodes are interested in recruiting him. This will be the second Hiroshima player to use FA since star right-hander Nobuhito Morishita.
Shogo Sakakura, who used to be mainly a catcher, mainly played first and third base this season. He played in 140 games and had a total of 127 hits and 74 RBIs, the most on the team. He also hit 15 home runs. His hitting measurements were 0.251/0.335/0.390 and the overall offensive index (OPS) was 0.725.
Shogo Sakakura played in 904 games in Japan for 10 seasons, accumulating 76 home runs, 371 RBIs, and an average batting average of 0.273. He was selected to the All-Star Game four times in his career. Shogo Sakakura is regarded as a "hitting fielder". In addition to being a catcher, he can also play first base and third base. He has the functionality of multiple fields and is expected to become the focus of the free market.
In addition, Sakakura Shogo is the national player of the Japanese team in the 2024 World Baseball Top 12. In the tournament, he delivered 1 home run, 4 RBIs, and a batting average of 444, and was selected as the best nine players in the conference.
Since Nobuhito Morishita proposed domestic FA yesterday, the Japanese media "Daily" pointed out that this is the second time since 2007 that two players of the Hiroshima team have used FA in the same year. At that time, Hiroki Kuroda, a famous Hiroshima pitcher, used his overseas free agent rights to challenge the major leagues, and the other one was Takahiro Arai, the current Hiroshima supervisor, who used his domestic FA to switch to the Hanshin Tigers.
Another main starter in Hiroshima, left-hander Hiruki Toda, is also currently considering whether to use domestic FA. If Tsuyuki Toda also leaves the team, Hiroshima may lose many main players during the off-season.
Hiroshima finished the season with 61 wins, 78 losses and 4 losses, ranking fourth in the Central League.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Shogo Sakakura will be the focus of the free market, and Seibu Lions or Chiba Rhodes may sign him
Likely · Within weeks
If Hiruki Toda also uses domestic FA to leave the team, Hiroshima may lose many main players in the off-season.
Possible · Within weeks

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