Steady set upper… rupture due to pros and cons of starting pitcher, second contract negotiations
Seibu pitcher Kaiba Taira held his second contract renewal negotiations at the team office in Tokorozawa, Saitama on the 4th, signing an annual salary of 170 million yen (amount is estimated), an increase of 70 million yen from this season. . In the first negotiations held on the 2nd, negotiations broke down with the team, which strongly hopes to switch from the current intermediary to the starting pitcher, and plans to intervene next season. However, in the negotiations on this day, the team gave up and said with a smile, “I will be allowed to start from next year.”
The presented annual salary was the same amount as the previous negotiations, and it seems that the only point of contention was whether or not to move to the starting lineup. “I’m glad I was able to honestly express my opinion and have a discussion with him,” Taira said. “I may fail or be a big success, but since I’m going to do it, I want to do my best as a starter so that I can contribute to the team rather than being a middleman.”
Hisanobu Watanabe, general manager (GM), said, “It was a difficult decision (to transfer the starting pitcher), but please do your best because you are going to be the starting pitcher.”
After joining Seibu in 2018, Taira pitched in 54 league-top games in 2020, his third year, leaving 33 holds to become the Pacific Rookie of the Year. In 2021, he also served as a suppressor, with 3 wins, 4 losses, 20 saves and 21 holds in 62 games. He has 1 win, 3 losses, 9 saves and 34 holds in 61 games this season, which is the top of the league. Earned his first title of Best Intermediate. All of his 203 first-team appearances have been relief.
After the first round of negotiations, GM Hisanobu Watanabe said, “As a compromise, next year I’ll have him play in the back (relief), and the year after next I’ll have him start as desired. The team will prepare the back by then.” However, Taira said, “Since the 2019 off season, I’ve been saying, ‘I want to start.’ I can’t do the eyes as an intermediary,” he said, emphasizing the idea that “I can’t wait any longer.”
(Hirohisa Miyawaki)