The Seibu Lions said Thursday they have acquired infielder Akira Eto from the Yomiuri Giants as compensation for losing free agent closer Kiyoshi Toyoda to the Central League club.
The 35-year-old Eto won Central League home run titles in 1993 and 1995 with the Hiroshima Carp but had significantly lost playing time at Yomiuri in recent years.
In 2005, Eto batted just .172 with no homers and four RBIs in 81 games, mostly as a pinch-hitter. He is a .271 hitter with 349 homers and 966 RBIs in his 16-year career.