Shimizu Trade Finalized
The previously reported Naoyuki Shimizu deal to Yokohama is now complete. In an obvious salary dump, Lotte sends Shimizu across the Tokyo Bay in return for pitcher Takumi Nasuno and catcher Toshio Saito.
The question now is, will we see Lotte shed any more payroll? Hanshin was interested in Shunsuke Watanabe…
10/11/2009 at 9:55 pm Permalink
It’s a clear salary dump, but Shimizu was at the very best the third best pitcher in the Lotte rotation last year, if not the 4th (after Naruse, Ono, and Karakawa). Coupled with him being the highest paid player on the team (and the second highest, Kobayashi, has posted two poor seasons in a row) and it’s understandable that he would be on the move.
I would have hoped we got someone more effective than Nasuno, but what do you do.