After a strong first season in Nippon Professional Baseball, Franmil Reyes is planning an encore, as the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters announced that the slugger has signed a new contract with the team for the 2025 season. Japanese media reports from last weekend suggested that Reyes was likely to stay with the Fighters and the club was prepared to offer him a multi-year contract, but he’ll instead return on a one-year deal.
In taking the one-year contract, Reyes might well be keeping his options open about a possible return to the majors next winter, as another big season in NPB would help his case for a guaranteed contract with a North American team. Reyes hit .290/.348/.564 with 25 homers over 368 plate appearances this season, mostly as a designated hitter and with a handful of appearances at first base. This production helped the Fighers to a second-place finish in the Pacific League and then a victory over the Chiba Lotte Marines in the first postseason round, though a sweep at the hands of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks denied the Fighters a spot in the Japan Series.
It was a needed bounce-back season for Reyes after his MLB career seemed to stall out after a pair of very rough seasons. Reyes hit only .217/.268/.356 with 16 home runs over 538 PA with the Guardians, Cubs, and Royals in 2022-23, plus a stint in the Nationals’ farm system came and went without a big league call-up.
Reyes hit a much more impressive .260/.325/.503 with 92 homers in 1540 PA over his first four seasons in the majors, slugging 92 homers for San Diego and Cleveland. Though strikeouts were always a big part of his game and his shaky defense indicated a DH-only future, Reyes still seemed to be on track to be a three-true-outcomes type of force before his sudden decline. While Reyes was still making a lot of hard contact in 2022, his walk rate dropped off sharply and his strikeout rate continued to rise.
Reyes is still only 29 years old, with his 30th birthday coming up in July. He could well pursue a third act to his career back in the big leagues in the wake of what seems to be a successful second act in Japan, or perhaps likes it enough in NPB to eventually pursue a multi-year deal with the Fighters if he keeps hitting.
Looks like the Franimal may have found a home
He bashes baseballs with the same tenacity that Animal smashes drumkits!
Mr. Baseball.
I hope Mike Ford gets re-signed. I feel like if he gets a longer look, he could be putting up numbers similar to franmil but with better walk rates.
Maybe not with Yokohama since Tyler Austin has been mashing there.
I thought Ford was mostly playing in the 2nd division there? Playing the minors in NPB doesn’t scream out that he was a success story there
He did. But, moving from AAA to another country and league mid-season is tough. I’d like to see him get a shot from the start after getting acclimated.
With that said, I understand the foreign player limits and the pressure players are under to “hit the ground running, or be replaced” so patience isn’t exactly a thing NPB or KBO teams have a lot of.
Great points! I also hope we haven’t seen the last of Miguel Sano.
Mike Ford’s biggest fan. That’s some solid excuse making for a guy that hasn’t proved anything at any level. Even giving an excuse to why he was in the 2nd division in the NPB. The guy gets to make a living playing ball which is cool but he’s running on fumes at this point
Teammates and fans loved him. Even the managers that had to sit him down and the FO people that had to move him.
It’s nice to read about him.
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Albert Suárez was cut from playing in MLB. Pitched in Korea for 2 years. Orioles scouts were on him. Actually wanted him for the 2023 season but the Korean team had rights. Got him this year and he unexpectedly saved the O’s behind both as a set-up guy and then a starter.
Hope the same happens with Franmil
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Great find. Great article.
I always liked watching his dugout interactions because he often got a smile or laugh from guys.
In theory wouldn’t mind if MLB created a “Designated Great Guy” position. Like a DH, but he’s a clubhouse and fan favorite who doesn’t count against the roster limit, so they can still stick around when they are fringy at the plate or on the mound. In reality owners and front office would probably figure out ways to make it shady instead of feel good in no time. So I’ll just enjoy the reality of him doing well somewhere.
Oh, you mean the team that’s been lead the last few years by the former MLB player named Shinjo?
Good article and story. Anyone have any idea how much he is getting?
Nobody has ever been more of a “Future Brewer” than Franmil slugging in Japan, lol. He’s on the Eric Thames path to Milwaukee (yes, yes, I know Thames played in Korea).
Love to see the Franimal find success where ever it maybe
Oddly enough, Fran may be the last man standing in terms of potential upside from that 3-way Bauer deal 5 years ago. Sorry that Scott Moss’s left arm never came back to life.