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NPB teams announce major player releases including Fujinami and Taguchi
Multiple Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) teams have announced player releases as the season concludes.
Yokohama DeNA BayStars released a significant number of players, including former first-round draft picks Shintaro Fujinami and Kenta Kozono. Other DeNA departures include Chihaya Sasaki, Hayato Horioka, So Nakagawa, Taiga Kondo, and several developmental players. Additionally, the team announced that Shinichi Onuki, Tatsumi Hashimoto, Shonosuke Hama, Kyohei Mashiko, and Junpei Higashizuma will not be under contract for the next season.
Tokyo Yakult Swallows also announced the release of six players, including pitcher Reito Taguchi, who was a key contributor to the team's recent success, and former Hanshin Tigers pitcher Koyo Aoyagi. Other released players include Sho Yamanobe, Shuya Hasegawa, Sho Numata, and Tatsunori Negishi.
Other clubs involved in the recent wave of notifications include the Hanshin Tigers, which released six players, and the Chunichi Dragons, which released six players including Keito Fukutogi.
Entities
DeNA BayStars · Hanshin Tigers · Kenta Kozono · Koyo Aoyagi · Philadelphia Phillies · Reito Taguchi · Shintaro Fujinami · Tokyo Yakult Swallows · Yakult Swallows · Yokohama DeNA BayStars
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Reito Taguchi recorded 33 saves and a 1.86 ERA during the 2023 season.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Koyo Aoyagi joined the team in July 2025 following a minor league stint with the Philadelphia Phillies. hochi.news
- [○ 1 SOURCE] All six released players have expressed a desire to continue playing professionally. hochi.news
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Sho Yamanobe was transferred to Yakult in May 2025 through a cash trade. hochi.news
- [● 3 SOURCES] The six players released are Shohei Numata, Reito Taguchi, Koyo Aoyagi, Chuki Hasegawa, Sho Yamanobe, and Tatsunori Negishi. hochi.news
- [● 2 SOURCES] Koyo Aoyagi won the most wins and highest winning percentage titles in both 2021 and 2022 while with Hanshin. hochi.news