Sports · Baseball · 5 hrs ago
Hanshin will not renew catcher Kенya Nagasaka’s contract
Hanshin Tigers will not renew catcher Kenya Nagasaka’s contract for next season, the Japanese baseball team announced on Oct.
23.
The 32-year-old joined Hanshin in 2016 after being picked in the seventh round of the draft from Tohoku Fukushi University.
He spent 10 seasons with the team but struggled to secure a regular first-team role behind catchers including Seishiro Sakamoto and Ryutaro Ume.
Nagasaka did not play in the first team this season and appeared in 48 farm-team games, batting .159.
Hanshin had selected catcher Kaito Koshikawa from Tokyo Gas in the sixth round of the draft the day before.
The team has now announced 11 departing players, and its roster of contracted players stands at 72, including draft picks.
Nagasaka’s next step was not announced.
Hanshin announced on October 23 that it will not renew catcher Kenya Nagasaka’s contract for next season.
Nagasaka, 32, joined the team in 2016 after being selected in the seventh round of the draft.
He made no first-team appearances this season and played 48 games in the farm league.
The announcement came a day after Hanshin selected catcher Kaito Koshikawa in the draft.
Nagasaka appeared in 61 first-team games over his career, according to 高校野球ドットコム.
- Who
- Hanshin and catcher Kenya Nagasaka.
- What
- Hanshin said it will not renew Nagasaka’s contract for next season.
- When
- October 23, 2026.
- Where
- Hanshin, Japan’s professional baseball team. The specific place of the announcement is not stated.
- Why
- Not stated. Hanshin had selected another catcher in the draft the previous day.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Hanshin selected Nagasaka in the seventh round of the draft.
Hanshin selected catcher Kaito Koshikawa in the sixth round of the draft.
Hanshin announced it would not renew Nagasaka’s contract for next season.
- Age
- 32
- Draft selection
- Seventh round, 2016
- First-team appearances this season
- 0
- Farm-league appearances this season
- 48
- Career first-team games
- 61
3 sources
What people are saying
Nagasaka Kenya player has been informed that we will not enter into a contract for next season
Nagasaka, thank you for supporting the farm team for so long