[Seibu] First-round draft pick Taiga Kojima accepts contract with the team. He declares war on his battery partner, Nippon-Ham first-round pick Okawa, saying, “I want to crush him.” | Pacific League

[Seibu] First-round draft pick Taiga Kojima has accepted a contract with the team. He declares war on his battery partner, first-round pick Okawa of Nippon-Ham, saying, “I want to crush him.”

Sports Hochi

2025.11.21(金) 19:07

Taiga Kojima (22), catcher from Meiji University who was selected by Seibu as their first draft pick, attended contract negotiations in Tokyo on the 21st and accepted a contract that includes a signing bonus of 100 million yen, plus a performance bonus of 50 million yen, and an annual salary of 16 million yen (estimated amounts).

About a month has passed since the draft meeting. After successfully accepting the offer, he revealed his feelings, saying, “I’m filled with joy to be a part of Saitama Seibu Lions.” Regarding the amount of money offered to him, he revealed his frugal side, saying, “I was surprised because it was an amount I’d never seen before, and I hope I can become a player worthy of it. I haven’t thought about how I’ll spend it yet, so I want to save it.”

That morning, Nippon-Ham No. 1 pitcher, Okawa Jiei, who was Kojima’s battery mate at Meiji University, signed a provisional contract and declared, “I want to completely overwhelm and closer. I want to be aggressive, so I’ll aim for three fastball struck out.” Kojima also looked forward to the direct confrontation, saying, “I want to crush him in the professional world.”

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