[Official] 'Trusted KBO-born foreign investor' Oraclin follows suit as Kyoyama heads to Taiwan! Rakuten signs him as a development foreign player

*This content was translated by AI.

Foreign pitchers released from the KBO League continue to move to the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in Taiwan. Following left-handed pitcher Jack Oraclin (26), who left Samsung Lions last July and joined the CTBC Brothers, right-handed pitcher Kyoyama Masaya (28), formerly of the Lotte Giants, is also heading to Taiwan.

According to Wang Yijian, a reporter well-versed in Taiwan's baseball scene, Rakuten officially announced on the afternoon of the 4th that it had signed Japanese and Korean professional league-experienced right-handed pitcher Kyoyama Masaya as a development foreign player.

The team plans to first integrate Kyoyama into the second division starting rotation to help him regain game sharpness and adapt to the Taiwan stage, later utilizing him as a card to deepen the starting lineup's depth. This signing is interpreted more as building strength for next season than as an immediate reinforcement of the current roster.

Kyoyama, formerly of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), appeared in 84 games over his NPB first division career, pitching 277⅔ innings with a record of 14 wins, 23 losses, and 6 holds. He proved his potential as a starter by winning six games in the 2018 season alone and contributed to his team's Japan Series championship in the 2024 season with an outstanding ERA of 2.01.

Ahead of the 2026 season, Kyoyama challenged the Korean stage as a Lotte Giants Asian quota player, appearing in 10 KBO League first division games with a record of 0 wins, 1 loss, and 1 hold, posting an ERA of 7.59. In the Futures League (second division), he recorded 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 hold over 9 games with an ERA of 4.67.

Kyoyama was first removed from the first division roster on April 19 during the early part of the season. After adjustments, he returned on April 29 but failed to rebound, and following the May 8 game against KIA Tigers, he was sent down to the second division again on May 9. Ultimately, Lotte signed another Asian quota player, Shota Iimura, and Kyoyama was released as of June 25.

Aiming for a comeback in Taiwan after leaving Korea, Kyoyama shared his thoughts upon joining Rakuten: "I am very honored to join Rakuten. Based on the experiences I have accumulated in Japan and Korea, I have made all preparations to contribute to the team."

A Rakuten team official also stated, "Kyoyama is a player with rich practical experience. We plan to help him adapt to the Taiwan stage through second division starting games, and we expect him to showcase his outstanding skills as a former starter to enhance the depth and competitiveness of our pitching staff." This essentially leaves an explanation that the signing targets next season.

With this move, Kyoyama has now experienced professional baseball in all three Asian countries: Japan (NPB), Korea (KBO), and Taiwan (CPBL). Following Oraclin's move to the CTBC Brothers, it remains highly anticipated what kind of performance Kyoyama will show with Rakuten in Taiwan.

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*This content was translated by AI.