Yomiuri Giants pitcher Hisanori Takahashi is hoping to continue his career in the major leagues.
Takahashi, who has filed for free agency, said at a news conference Tuesday he wants to follow in the footsteps of ex-teammates Hideki Matsui and Koji Uehara, who now play in the bigs.
Takahashi, a 34-year-old left-hander, went 10-6 with a 2.94 ERA for the Japan Series champion Giants this year. His best season with Yomiuri was 2007, when he was 14-4 with a 2.75 ERA.