NAGOYA (Kyodo) Chunichi Dragons right-hander Kenshin Kawakami declared his intention to file for free agency on Saturday, saying he is excited by the prospect of fulfilling a dream of pitching in the major leagues.
"I want to see how other teams evaluate my 11-year career with the Dragons," Kawakami said. "For the last five or six years, I have been hoping to try pitching in the majors."
Kawakami, 33, will be permitted to negotiate with any clubs on Thursday after his name is posted by the commissioner's office as a free agent the previous day.