[Official] "Finally here!" KIA signs Japanese national player in a surprise move, filling the void left by the Asian quota replacement "Will greatly assist the team's pitching staff"

*This content was translated by AI.

KIA Tigers has signed Japanese pitcher Shirakawa Keisho as the replacement Asian quota foreign player for Jered Day.

On the 28th, KIA officially announced, "We have signed Shirakawa Keisho ( , right-handed pitcher, right-handed batter, born in 2001) for a total contract value of $100,000 (signing bonus $20,000, annual salary $40,000, option $40,000)."

This marks the first time KIA Tigers has signed a Japanese national player, with Shirakawa being the inaugural signing.

A right-handed pitcher from Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, Shirakawa stands 181cm tall and weighs 88kg.

Shirakawa first stepped onto the KBO stage in 2024, when the injury replacement foreign player system was introduced.

That year, he played for two teams: SSG Landers and Doosan Bears. In 12 appearances during the 2024 season, he recorded 4 wins, 5 losses, and an ERA of 5.65. Over a total of 57⅓ innings, he allowed 59 hits (6 home runs), issued 33 walks, hit 3 batters, recorded 46 strikeouts, and gave up 41 runs (36 earned runs).

He later returned to the Tokushima Indigo Socks, an independent league team in Japan. This season, he made 5 starts, pitching 25 innings with a record of 1 win, 1 loss, 34 strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.08.

A KIA official explained, "Shirakawa is a pitcher whose strengths include a wild pitching form and a powerful fastball generated from a high release point."

He continued, "He also possesses the ability to throw various breaking balls, including curveballs, sliders, and forkballs. Having already experienced the KBO League once, he is expected to adapt quickly to the league even if he joins mid-season. We expect his versatility to be highly valuable, whether used as a starter or in relief, and believe he will greatly assist the team's pitching staff."

Earlier, KIA manager Lee Beom-ho, the team's commander, stated regarding Shirakawa, "It is currently very difficult to find a competitive (Asian quota) pitcher overseas. Since adapting to a new environment is crucial, we judged that a player with prior KBO League experience would be the better choice."

Meanwhile, Shirakawa is scheduled to join the Futures League squad on the 29th to improve his condition before joining the first-division squad.

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*This content was translated by AI.