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Kawakami declares free agency, eyeing majors
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NAGOYA, Nov. 15 Kyodo
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Chunichi Dragons right-hander Kenshin Kawakami declared his
intention to file for free agency on Saturday, saying he is excited
by the prospect of fulfilling a longtime dream of pitching in the
major leagues.
''I want to see how other teams evaluate my 11-year career with
the Dragons,'' Kawakami said. ''For the last five or six years, I
have been hoping to try pitching in the majors.''
Kawakami, 33, will be permitted to negotiate with any clubs on
Thursday after his name is posted by the commissioner's office as a
free agent the previous day.
Although Kawakami is leaning toward a move to the majors rather
than play for another Japanese club, he is still undecided.
Kawakami held talks with Chunichi on Sept. 25 but was not
convinced to remain with the team. He is expected to formally file
for free agency early next week.
Kawakami joined Chunichi as a first-round draft pick in 1998. He
won Central League titles for most wins in 2004 and 2006 and was a
member of the Japanese national team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
This season, Kawakami went 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA in 20 games,
missing out on double-digit wins for the fifth consecutive year. He
has a career 112-72 record with one save and a 3.22 ERA in 257 games
in 11 seasons with the Dragons.
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