NPB Tracker

Yusei Kikuchi is officially a pro. The young lefty has inked his first contract with the Seibu Lions. Unsurprisingly, Kikuchi gets the max deal: 100m yen (about $1m) signing bonus, a 15m yen ($150k) first year salary, 50m yen ($500k) in performance bonuses.

Kikuchi will wear number 17. Word is that he’ll be in camp with the top team next spring, and have a special training program.

According to Chugoku Shimbun, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp have agreed to re-sign right hander Michael Shultz to a two-year contract and are also working on a deal to add outfielder Jeff Fiorentino, who appeared in 24 major league games with the Baltimore Orioles last season. The scouts liked Fiorentino’s average against left-handers and believes his batting eye is well-suited for the NPB.

As posted earlier in the week, the Carp are working on adding Justin Huber.

According the local Kanagawa news website Kanaloco.jp, the Yokohama BayStars are working on adding three additions to their foreign roster.

• Chris Bootcheck, who appeared in the majors with Pittsburgh in 2009, and another guy from my list of foreign player candidates
• Jose Castillo, the former top prospect who spent 2009 with the 7-Eleven Lions of Taiwan
• Termel Sledge, Nippon Ham’s best power threat in ’09

Negotiations with Bootcheck and Castillo are in final stages, and while negotiations with Sledge haven’t started yet, Yokohama appears to be the favorite to land him.

Whoever Yokohama winds up with will join Stephen Randolph on the roster next season.