NPB Tracker

For the first time in Arizona Fall League’s 17-year history, players from teams outside of Major League Baseball have been invited to take part in the league. NPB has agreed to send five pitchers to participate in the league.

LHP Hiroshi Katayama (Golden Eagles) and RHP Toshiyuki Yanuki (Fighters) is on the Phoenix Sea Dogs roster. RHP Tooru Murata (Giants), RHP Ken Nishimura (Tigers) and LHP Takanobu Tsujiuchi (Giants) will be on the pitching staff of the Scottsdale Scorpions. RHP Kenta Abe (Tigers) will be joining the Scorpions mid-season and switching spots with teammate Nishimura.

This is a great opportunity for Japanese pitching prospects with limited big league experience to mingle with players in the States and face big time prospects like Dustin Ackley and Jason Heyward. It should be a valuable learning experience for the young pitchers and a good relationship builder for NPB and MLB. The ability to bring in players from around the globe to participate in the Arizona Fall League can be a huge opportunity for the MLB to develop Arizona as an Autumn mecca for young prospects.

Another Japanese only edition, this time focusing on US-Japan player movment:

• It doesn’t look like Wei-Yin Chen is going anywhere any time soon, according to Chunichi Dragons president Junnosuke Nishikawa. “He can’t move unless he’s willing to break our agreement. We don’t have those conditions (to allow him out after the season) in our contract,” said Nishikawa. Commenting on a possible move to the majors, Nishikawa said, “even if that’s out there, that’s only if the team grants him to be posted.” Of course, there’s no indication that Chen even wants to leave, only that MLB scouts are watching him.
• Hanshin is sending ni-gun reliever Ken Nishimura to the Arizona Fall League this year. He’ll join five or six other NPB prospects, including Norihito Kaneto of the Giants.
• Yokohama has made Tom Mastny its first foreign dismissal of the season. Mastny went 1-5 with a 5.69 era in 15 games for Yokohama this year. “We gave him a chance and he didn’t produce results,” said the Yokohama front office. The BayStars are doing some general housecleaning and interim manager Tamio Tashiro, 28-year veteran Kimiyasu
  
• Kudoh, and comparatively young infielder Toshihisa Nishi have all been shown the door.
• Speaking of Nishi, he’s reportedly open to a move to the US minor leagues if the right offer in Japan doesn’t materialize. Nishi explored a move to the Majors after filing for free agency back in 2004, but obviously that didn’t work out. As I recall the Pirates were rumored to be interested back then.