The Chunichi Dragons on Wednesday offered Takeshi Yamasaki a three-year contract worth an estimated 450 million yen, but were unable to conclude an agreement with the infielder on the first day of free-agent negotiations.
Yamasaki, 33, batted .238 with 51 RBIs and 25 home runs in 111 games this past season. He spent 15 years with Chunichi since joining as a second-round draft pick in 1987.
In Osaka, officials of the Pacific League champion Kintetsu Buffaloes offered free-agent right-hander Shinichi Kato a three-year contract worth an estimated 200 million yen with performance-hinged incentives.
Kato, who had been tendered a two-year, 120 million yen deal by the Orix BlueWave, admitted that he was pleased with the offer from the Buffaloes.
The 36-year-old Tottori native joined Orix in 1999 after pitching for the Daiei Hawks and the Hiroshima Carp. He had an 11-7 record with a 3.69 earned run average this past season.