Veteran infielder Eishin Soyogi will end his 12-year stint with the Hiroshima Carp and be released into free agency, the team announced onTuesday.
Hiroshima general manager Kiyoaki Suzuki said the club's decision came in response to Soyogi's request for a chance to continue playing, and the 36-year-old will hope to land a deal with another team despite not making any top-team appearances this season.
"I think I'm still capable so I want to continue training assuming that I will play somewhere," said Soyogi, who was named the CL Rookie of the Year in 2006.
A native of Hiroshima, Soyogi batted .264 with 74 homers and 357 RBIs in 1,096 games. He led the league in stolen bases in 2010 and won the Golden Glove award as a shortstop the same year.
