So why did the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters trade away arguably the best player on their team, if not in the entire Pacific League?
Is it because four-time All-Star outfielder Yoshio Itoi had been clearly unhappy with the direction of his offseason contract negotiations with the team — he was the lone Fighter to have not signed a new deal for 2013.
Or maybe Itoi's desire to be posted rubbed Nippon Ham the wrong way. Having just lost Yu Darvish via the posting system last year, perhaps the team felt the potential gains wouldn't be worth managing the distraction, dealing with an unhappy Itoi, or losing another star without a viable replacement.
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