Seibu Lions ace right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka said Sunday he will press ahead with his wish to pursue a career in the major leagues via the so-called posting system in the upcoming offseason.
"I've been hoping for quite a long time to play in the majors as early as possible, and I won't give up on it so easily," Matsuzaka said, adding he will ask Seibu officials to discuss the matter shortly.
Nearly a year ago, Seibu suggested it would give Matsuzaka a chance to make a switch to the majors through the posting system, in which major league teams present sealed bids for Japanese players, on condition that he perform well enough to make his case this year.
But Seibu officials are not convinced by the performance of Matsuzaka, who finished the regular season with a 14-13 record with a 2.30 ERA, the third best in the Pacific League.
Matsuzaka appeared in 28 games and led the league with 226 strikeouts, 15 complete games, three shutouts and 215 innings pitched.
"It's obvious his season records are not convincing enough. He is an important player, and we need him for the next season," Seibu manager Tsutomu Ito said.
Seibu finished the regular season in third place and was eliminated in the first stage of the league's two-stage postseason playoffs.