Right-hander Akinori Otsuka, who failed to draw a bid from the major leagues through the posting system this offseason, was traded from the Kintetsu Buffaloes to the Chunichi Dragons for cash, officials of the Central League club said Thursday.
The 31-year-old Otsuka, who refused to take part in Kintetsu's spring training, signed a one-year, 95 million yen contract with Chunichi after the Nagoya club reportedly accepted his wish to be put up for auction among major league clubs after a year of service.
In December, Kintetsu put Otsuka up for auction due to his strong desire to ply his trade in North America but attracted no bidders under the so-called posting system used in negotiating the deals on Ichiro Suzuki and Kazuhisa Ishii.