Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda has announced he will elect free agency with an eye on making the jump to the major leagues. The 32-year old slashed .287/.357/.533, hitting 35 home runs and 94 RBIs (both career highs), as he helped the Hawks to their second straight Nippon Series victory. Sources say the San Diego Padres have expressed interest in bringing Matsuda stateside on a major league deal, and he has indicated he is not interested in signing with a Japanese team. If Matsuda departs in free agency, he would be the second Hawks’ slugger behind Korean 1B/DH Lee Dae-ho to leave the team this off-season, leaving the team with a power outage in both corner infield spots. Matsuda is currently playing for Samurai Japan in the Premier 12 world baseball tourney and says he will begin mulling over his options after the tournament ends on Nov. 21.
Sources: http://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/1564106.html
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/11/nobuhiro-matsuda-free-agent-kenta-maeda-timing.html
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