Nippon-Ham 's Go Matsumoto decides to join The Giants. The Giants have signed free agents for the second consecutive year, following Takuya Kai last year. | Pacific League

Nippon-Ham ‘s Go Matsumoto decides to join The Giants. The Giants have signed free agents for the second year in a row, following Takuya Kai last year.

Sports Hochi

2025.11.25(火) 04:30

ＦＡで巨人への移籍を決断した松本剛

Nippon-Ham On the 24th, we learned that Go Matsumoto outfielder (32), who exercised his domestic free agent (FA) rights from The Giants, decided to join . Nippon-Ham The team had been trying to console him, but he was troubled and decided to try out for a new team. After failing to fix outfielder this season, The Giants will be the second consecutive year that he has been acquired by FA, following Kai last year.

Go Matsumoto will embark on a new path in his 15th year of professional baseball next season. After attending Nippon-Ham Fighters’ end-of-year party on the 21st of this month, he said, “I’m hoping to do it as soon as possible. I want to get ready for next season, so I’m feeling mentally refreshed and want to do it soon.” He has decided to play for The Giants next season. He will move from Pacific League to Central League and take on the challenge.

On the 11th of this month, he announced that he would exercise his domestic free agency rights. Since making the declaration, he has attended a talk event hosted by Nippon-Ham Group, as well as a fan appreciation event on the 23rd. Nippon-Ham, the team he has played for since his first year out of high school, had allowed him to remain with the team, but after careful consideration, he appears to have chosen to put on a new uniform and play. His estimated annual salary this season is 110 million yen, which is considered a B rank, meaning compensation will be paid.

So far, he has played in a total of 773 games in 14 years as a professional. In 22, when he was selected as the opening number 4 by coach Shinjo, he won the first leading hitter in the Nippon-Ham right-handed hitter with a batting average of 30.4 and 7%, and also shone in the best nine. In 22 and 24, more than 20 stolen base were recorded. It also has a stable defense force. This season, he had a batting average of 10.8 and 8% in 66 appearances, but there is no doubt that he is attractive in running, offense and defense, and we can expect further evolution.

It is also good news for The Giants who made the offer after a careful search. This season, the outfield team could not be fixed. Cabbage played 123 games, veteran Maru supported the team, and despite the efforts of Nakayama and Sasaki, the outfielder overall number of blunders this season was 19, about three times as many as last year (6). It is undeniable that the team did not have a strong depth, and the valuable right outfielder will be a great inspiration to the outfield team. Furthermore, Go Matsumoto has also served as player president from 2011 to this season, and has a reputation for leadership.

Following Kai last year, The Giants have acquired a free agent for the second year in a row, adding a powerful force to the team as they aim to win the league title for the first time in two years and become Japan’s number one team for the first time in 14 years.

◆ Matsumoto Go (32 years old) Born on August 11, 1993 in Kawaguchi, Saitama. He joined Nippon-Ham as the second pick in the 2011 draft from Teikyo High School. In 2022, he became the team’s first right-handed hitter hitter to lead the team in batting, and was named to the Best Nine. He has played in 773 games, with 608 hit, a batting average of .265, 14 Home Run, and 157 RBI. He is 180 cm tall and weighs 84 kg. He bats and throws right-handed.