The Chunichi Dragons on Thursday signed outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, who beat Hideki Matsui to win the Central League batting title, to a new one-year deal for a 122 million yen annual salary with an 80 million yen increase.
Fukudome finished the season with a .343 average, .009 ahead of Matsui, with 19 homers, 65 RBIs and a league-high 42 doubles.
He also earned bonuses totaling 7.5 million yen for becoming the batting champion and being named to the "Best Nine" All-CL squad.
In Tokyo, Koji Uehara, who led the CL with 17 wins and had an ERA of 2.60, spurned the Yomiuri Giants' offer of a 190 million yen salary, up 84 million yen from this year. The Sawamura Award winner will hold the next round of talks Wednesday and hopes to make at least 200 million yen.