OSAKA (Kyodo) Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes third baseman Norihiro Nakamura will take part in the Los Angeles Dodgers' spring training in Florida next month, Buffaloes general manager Keisuke Ashitaka said Wednesday.
After training with his Buffaloes teammates in Miyazaki from Feb. 1-10, Nakamura will head to Vero Beach as he reportedly received permission from the National League club, for whom pitchers Hideo Nomo and Kazuhisa Ishii plays, to join them for preseason workouts.
"That's what Nakamura wanted and I think it will be a good experience for him," Ashitaka said.
Ishii takes pay cut
Yakult Swallows lefty Hirotoshi Ishii, who was a member of the national team for the Asian Championships last fall, will receive a 2 million yen pay cut for an annual salary of 70 million yen plus bonuses, the Central League club Tuesday.
Ishii went 6-1 with one save in 36 games last season, finishing with a 1.99 ERA, but played on the farm team for most of the first half of the season due to an injured right side.
Elsewhere, the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks have acquired Lindsay Gulin, a Dodgers Triple-A southpaw, on a one-year deal worth 20 million yen.
Gulin, who has no major league experience, went 10-10 in 27 minor league starts last season.