Free agent catcher Ryoji Aikawa agreed Friday to join the Tokyo Yakult Swallows after he failed to receive an adequate offer from teams in the major leagues.
Yakult is thought to have offered the former Yokohama BayStars catcher a three-year deal worth ¥450 million, baseball sources said after the two sides met for the first time this offseason.
In the market for an everyday catcher, the Swallows expressed interest in the 32-year-old Aikawa soon after he filed for free agency in November and had been biding their time until he finally became available for talks.