BayStars Manager Miura Says NPB Teams Should Accept Losing Players to MLB with a Positive Attitude

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The manager of the Japan Series champion Yokohama DeNA BayStars says NPB teams have to do their best to adjust when they lose star players to Major League Baseball.

There is no point in fretting or feeling sorry for yourself. Daisuke Miura knows what he's talking about.

Shota Imanaga went 11-4 for the BayStars in 2022 and then posted a 7-4 record the following year.

Yokohama's best pitcher then signed a four-year $53 million USD (about ¥7.7 billion JPY) contract with the Chicago Cubs before the start of the 2024 season.

*Chicago Cubs starter Shota Imanaga pitches against the New York Mets during the second inning on May 1 at Citi Field. (Brad Penner/USA TODAY SPORTS)*

To make matters even more challenging, Yokohama's 10-game winner Trevor Bauer decided to head back to the United States after the 2023 season to try to reignite his career in MLB.

Many thought it would be curtains for the BayStars, but they went out and won the Japan Series on November 3, beating the heavily favored Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in six games.

Sasaki's Departure from NPB

Now with star pitcher Roki Sasaki going to the majors next season, the Chiba Lotte Marines will find themselves in the same situation and Miura had a little advice during a recent press conference at The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.

"There is nothing we can do about it because each individual player has their own dream to pursue," Miura said. "Some want to play among the best of the best players in the world and some want more salary, honestly."

Not every team has fared as well as Yokohama did after losing a star pitcher to the majors

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Author: Jim Armstrong

The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.