Fighters Slugger Franmil Reyes May Leave Team, Reports Say
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Franmil Reyes, a power hitter for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, may be at risk of leaving the team, according to Japanese media reports.
Reyes is known as a slugger, a player famous for hitting powerful home runs.
A team from Japan's Central League is reportedly interested in signing him.
This interest comes because the Central League will start using the designated hitter (DH) rule next season.
The DH rule allows a player to only bat, without playing a defensive position. Because of this new rule, Central League teams need strong hitters who can focus purely on batting.
Reports say the interested team could offer Reyes a salary worth around 1 billion yen, a very large amount even for a top professional player.
Such an offer would represent a major push to bring the slugger away from the Fighters.
Despite this, Reyes has previously expressed strong loyalty to the Fighters. He reportedly said, "This is my place. I want to stay here forever," suggesting he may prefer to remain with the team.
The news has sparked discussion among fans online. Some commenters have praised the Fighters for showing sincerity toward Reyes, while others have debated the role and value of foreign players like him in Japanese baseball.
This situation is seen as an important issue that could shape the Fighters' future plans and roster.
Vocabulary10 words
- slugger
- a player famous for hitting the ball very hard
- Central League
- one of Japan's two main professional baseball leagues
- designated hitter (DH)
- a player who only bats and does not play defense
- salary
- the regular pay a person earns for their job
- sincerity
- being honest and showing you really mean something
- foreign player
- a player who comes from a different country
- loyalty
- strong support or feeling for one place or team
- roster
- the list of players on a sports team
- professional
- doing something as a paid job, not just for fun
- defensive position
- the spot a player takes when the other team is batting
Quiz
Answer key
1. They will use the DH rule next season 2. About 1 billion yen 3. This is his place and he wants to stay forever
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Franmil Reyes, a power hitter for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, may be at risk of _____ the team.
Reyes is known as a _____, a player famous for hitting powerful home runs.
A team from Japan's _____ League is reportedly interested in signing him.
This interest comes because the Central League will start using the designated hitter (_____) rule next season.
The DH rule allows a player to only bat, without playing a _____ position.
Reports say the interested team could offer Reyes a _____ worth around 1 billion yen.
Such an offer would represent a major push to bring the slugger away from the _____.
Reyes has previously expressed strong _____ to the Fighters.
Some commenters have praised the Fighters for showing _____ toward Reyes.
Others have debated the role and value of _____ players like him in Japanese baseball.