On the 8th, Softbank officially announced a four-year contract with Osuna. According to Japanese media including Sports Nippon, it signed a four-year contract worth 4 billion yen. Last year, it signed a one-year contract with Softbank for 650 million yen (about 5.9 billion won) but this time it signed a four-year contract with an annual salary of 1 billion yen.
This is the highest amount of treatment in Japanese pro baseball history. The highest annual salary in Japan was 900 million yen until last year, and pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who returned to the Rakuten Golden Eagles through the Major League, received the highest annual salary for two years from 2021 to 2022. Even if Japan is a good relief pitcher, 1 billion yen is a shocking amount. 파친코
Osuna said, “It is a sincere honor to be able to return to Fukuoka, my second hometown. I am always grateful for the unwavering support of my teammates, club, family and great fans. I will do my best to unite under a common goal and win the championship.”
Last year, Osuna showed good performance in 49 games (49 innings) with three wins and two losses, 26 saves and 12 holds with an ERA of 0.92 strikeouts, and 42 strikeouts. He displayed robust performance by banking on his fastball speed of up to 158 kilometers, and his fastball speed of up to 149 kilometers, and his average speed of 144.6 kilometers. Naturally, he showed interest in Osuna in the Major League after the season.
The San Diego Padres were the most aggressive. According to Mexican media outlet Marca on Tuesday, San Diego contacted Osuna. “We met about six times after San Diego suggested,” Osuna said. “When I compared taxes and salaries between the U.S. and Japan, it was more appropriate for me to stay in Japan.”
It is not known what terms San Diego offered, but Osuna decided that staying in Japan would be more profitable financially considering the tax. In the U.S., the U.S. has to pay state tax as well as federal income tax of up to 37.0 percent. California, home to San Diego, is notorious for having the highest personal income tax rate (13.3 percent) in the U.S. Half of the contract amount must be paid in taxes.
As Osuna chose to stay in Japan, San Diego recruited Japanese left-hander Yuki Matsui (five years, 28 million dollars) and Korean right-hander Ko Woo-suk (two years, 4.5 million dollars) to reinforce its bullpen, which had closer Josh Hader as a free agent. If Osuna had accepted San Diego’s offer, either Matsui or Ko would not have been able to sign with San Diego.
Mexican right-hander Osuna was once the most promising finisher in the Major League. He made a splendid debut with 20 saves in the first year of his Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. Having earned 36 saves in 2016 and 39 saves in 2017, Osuna also became an All-Star, becoming the youngest player to make 100 saves (23 years and 62 days) in April 2018.
However, after being arrested for assaulting his girlfriend in May that year, he went downhill. He was suspended for 75 games for violating the domestic violence, sexual violence and child abuse prevention rules agreed between labor and management in the Major League, and was traded to the Houston Astros two months later. He ranked No. 1 in the American League with 38 saves in 2019 with Houston, but was released as a free agent after being out for the season after four games due to elbow injury in the following year.
No team visited Osuna even after his elbow recovered. He had a strong image of a “problematic” for domestic violence cases. After all, Osuna moved to Japan after signing a contract with the Chiba Lotte Marines in June 2021 for an annual salary of 90 million yen in 29 games (29 ⅔ innings) with 4 wins, 1 loss, 10 saves, 9 holds, 0.91 strikeouts, and 32 strikeouts. At that time, he was offered to play in the Major League after the season, but Osuna moved to Softbank, where he offered a huge annual salary of 650 million yen. He acquired a four-year contract by showing off his remarkable capacity to finish the game with an ERA of zero for two consecutive years.
Although Osuna has stayed in Japan for a long time, she has not given up on her dream of returning to the Major League. “I have three years left before I complete my Major League pension,” Osuna said. “When I am done living in Japan, I want to go back to the U.S. no matter how much money I have to pay and play until I can fully receive my pension.” This is a scenario that would be possible as she will only be 33 years old in four years.