OBIHIRO, Hokkaido (Kyodo) Seibu Lions closer Brian Sikorski fulfilled the requirement to become a free agent on Sunday after having spent eight years on a top team in Japan, making him eligible to be treated as a Japanese player from next season.
Sikorski signed a one-year deal with the Lions in the 2009 offseason and currently leads the Pacific League with 25 saves. The 36-year-old right-hander also had stints with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Yomiuri Giants and Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Sikorski joins Guo Tai-yuan, Tuffy Rhodes, Alex Ramirez and Alex Cabrera as the only foreign players to have attained free agency in Japan.