The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters have agreed to a new two-year deal with closer Micheal Nakamura that will pay him an estimated annual salary of $1.3 million, plus performance escalators, the Pacific League club said Monday.
The 2.75-fold pay increase came after Nakamura set a single-season league record of 39 saves and helped Nippon Ham win its first Japan Series title since 1962, when the team was known as the Toei Flyers.