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2ND LD: Ogasawara to join Yomiuri on 4-year deal
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TOKYO, Nov. 22 (17:04) Kyodo
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(EDS: UPDATING WITH QUOTES, DETAILS)
Free agent infielder Michihiro Ogasawara said Wednesday he will
join the Yomiuri Giants on a four-year contract for an identical
salary of 380 million yen he received this year from the Nippon Ham
Fighters.
Ogasawara reached a basic agreement with Yomiuri in his second
meeting with the Central League club, which will hold further talks
with the 33-year-old to hammer out details of performance-related
incentives.
''I am happy that the club offered me a four-year deal right of
the bat (in the first round of talks),'' said Ogasawara. ''I was
pretty much decided (to join Yomiuri) at that point. I will be
grateful to Yomiuri.''
The Fighters had offered Ogasawara a multiyear deal with a
reportedly substantial increase in his annual salary, but Ogasawara
said he opted for a new challenge with the team that needs him most.
''I wanted to make a challenge with Yomiuri and respond to
Yomiuri's request since they show that they need me,'' said
Ogasawara, adding that he will formally reject Nippon Ham's offer
later the same day.
Ogasawara held first-round talks with Yomiuri on Nov. 14, a day
after starting negotiations with the Fighters, the newly crowned
Japan Series champions for whom he played over the past 10 seasons in
the Pacific League.
Ogasawara, the 2006 PL Most Valuable Player, joined the Fighters
as a No. 3 draft pick in 1997 and won the league batting titles in
2002 and 2003.
He led the league with 32 homers and 100 RBIs in 2006 and has a
career .320 batting average with 239 home runs and 730 RBIs in 1,157
games.
''Ogasawara helped fulfill a dream for the fans in Hokkaido.
I've told him that I want him to help the Giants chase a new dream,''
Yomiuri team representative Hidetoshi Kiyotake said. ''We need his
power at this time when the Giants are trying to make a change for
the future.'' |
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