Toru Hosokawa has decided to join Fukuoka Softbank in a free agent deal after meeting with the Hawks for a second time on Tuesday.
The Seibu Lions catcher was offered a four-year contract in his first meeting with the team last Thursday. He could make anywhere from ¥250 million to ¥800 million, depending on the number of innings he plays in for the Pacific League club.
Hosokawa is the Hawks' first free agent signing since Hiroki Kokubo in 2006. Although Softbank won its first league title in seven years in 2010, it failed to reach the Japan Series.