Monitor this situation.

Unsubscribe anytime.

[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE] · [SPORTS]

2 clusters · 10 sources · 6 days · First seen 9 days ago · Last updated 3 days ago

NPB professional baseball player releases

Overview

Several Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) clubs have announced roster changes involving the non-renewal of player contracts. On October 18, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters released pitcher Koki Matsuoka, catcher Yuki Umebayashi, and infielder Ryosuke Akase. Matsuoka had previously struggled with a 20.25 ERA in recent appearances, while Akase had not seen first-team action during his three years with the club. On October 24, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp announced they would not renew the contracts of several players for the 2027 season. The list includes pitchers Makoto Kemuna, Ginji Hasebe, Tatsuya Matsumoto, Haruki Hidaka, and Taiga Tsuji, and outfielder Takahiro Nakamura. Among those departing is Haruki Hidaka, who failed to make a first-team appearance since joining in 2024. Makoto Kemuna, a right-hander who served as a bullpen mainstay from 2020 to 2022, has not appeared in a first-team game for two seasons following elbow surgery; he has expressed a desire to continue his career with another NPB club. Taiga Tsuji, a left-hander who underwent Tommy John surgery in August, will be offered a developmental contract to remain with the organization. Additionally, the Chiba Lotte Marines announced they will not renew the contracts of pitchers Ryotaro Mori and Hibiki Hayasaka, though the club intends to offer both players developmental contracts. On the same day, the Yomiuri Giants notified infielder Dai Yuasa that his contract would not be renewed and placed six players on free agency, including 2022 first-round draft pick Shogo Asano. Asano, who is currently rehabilitating from right knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, is expected to be offered a developmental contract. Further roster changes were announced by the Chunichi Dragons, who notified catcher Shingo Usami and outfielder Seiji Kawagoe that their contracts would not be renewed. The Chiba Lotte Marines also announced that outfielder Manito will not return next season.

Entities

Yuki Umebayashi · Dai Yuasa · Koki Matsuoka · Shogo Asano · Yomiuri Giants

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Hiroshima Toyo Carp notified six players they will not be renewed for next season. full-count.jp · hochi.news
[● 3 SOURCES] The released players are Makoto Kemuna, Ginji Hasebe, Tatsuya Matsumoto, Haruki Hidaka, Taiga Tsuji, and Takahiro Nakamura. full-count.jp · hochi.news
[● 2 SOURCES] Haruki Hidaka joined Hiroshima as player compensation for Ryoma Nishikawa's transfer from Orix. hochi.news
[● 2 SOURCES] Taiga Tsuji is expected to be offered a developmental contract. hochi.news
[○ 1 SOURCE] All six released players wish to continue their professional careers. hochi.news

Timeline

3 days ago

[SPORTS] 8 sources
NPB teams announce roster changes and player releases
Multiple NPB teams, including Orix, SoftBank, Yomiuri Giants, and Hiroshima Carp, have announced player releases and development contract offers for the upcoming season.
9 days ago

[SPORTS] 4 sources
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters release three players
The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters have notified pitcher Koki Matsuoka, catcher Yuki Umebayashi, and infielder Ryosuke Akase that their contracts will not be renewed for the upcoming season.

Sources

baseballchannel.jp · baseballking.jp · football-zone.net · full-count.jp · hochi.news · jugem.jp · news.mynavi.jp · soccerdigestweb.com · sports.ettoday.net · tokyo-sports.co.jp

This summary has been updated 4 times: see revision history