Sports · Baseball · 11 hrs ago
Chunichi Dragons release four pitchers from next season’s plans
The Chunichi Dragons told four pitchers they will not offer them next-season contracts on October 29.
The players are Kensei Makino, Yuta Matsukidaira, Kounosuke Fukuda and Keito Arima, all young pitchers with the Japanese professional baseball team.
The team offered all four development contracts, a status below the main roster.
Makino made 23 relief appearances this season, while Matsukidaira did not pitch for the first team.
Matsukidaira said the season had been difficult, but his five appearances from August had a 1.06 earned-run average.
Matsukidaira and Fukuda are considering moves to other teams, while Fukuda and Arima have not yet decided whether to accept development deals.
The players must decide whether to stay with Chunichi or pursue other options; no further steps are stated.
The Chunichi Dragons said they will not offer next-season contracts to four pitchers: Kenshin Makino, Yuta Matsukihira, Kounosuke Fukuda and Keito Arima.
The team notified the players on October 29, and said it had offered each a chance to re-sign as a developmental player.
Matsukihira and Fukuda are considering moving to another team, while Fukuda and Arima said they had not yet decided whether to accept the developmental offers.
Makino, 27, made 23 relief appearances this season, recording no wins, three losses and a 4.15 earned-run average.
Matsukihira, 23, said the season had been difficult and said he would consider offers from other teams.
- Who
- Chunichi Dragons pitchers Kenshin Makino, Yuta Matsukihira, Kounosuke Fukuda and Keito Arima.
- What
- The team notified the four that it would not offer them contracts for next season. It offered each a chance to re-sign as a developmental player.
- When
- October 29, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated.
- Why
- The players were excluded from the team’s plans for next season. The sources do not give a single specific reason for all four.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Chunichi notified Makino, Matsukihira, Fukuda and Arima that they would not receive next-season contracts.
The Dragons offered all four players the option of re-signing as developmental players.
Matsukihira and Fukuda said they were considering opportunities with other teams.
- Players notified
- Kenshin Makino, Yuta Matsukihira, Kounosuke Fukuda and Keito Arima
- Notice date
- October 29, 2026
- Developmental offers
- The team offered all four players a chance to re-sign as developmental players
- Makino’s 2026 appearances
- 23 relief appearances
- Makino’s 2026 record
- 0 wins, 3 losses; 4.15 earned-run average
- Matsukihira’s age
- 23
3 sources
What people are saying
今年1年は苦しかったですね、ずっと。野球が楽しくない日々が続きました
いい姿を見せたい気持ちもありますし、他球団からオファーがあればそれも考えながらですね
どこが悪いかは分かっています。（春季）キャンプからオープン戦のころの状態に戻して、あれ以上のものを出せるようにやっていきたいです
考える時間がほしい。オープン戦で1軍に呼んでもらった中で、こういう形になった。悔しさはあります