Chiba Lotte releases captain Nakamura after 12 seasons

The Chiba Lotte Mariners announced on September 30 that they would not renew the contract of 34-year-old infielder Shogo Nakamura for the 2027 season. Following discussions between the club and player, Nakamura will depart the team where he spent his entire 12-year professional career. Nakamura, drafted first overall in 2015 from Waseda University, served as team captain for three consecutive seasons (2021–2023) and appeared in 1,268 games over his tenure. He won the Golden Glove Award three times as a second baseman and was named to the Best Nine in 2021, accumulating 1,058 hits. In the 2026 season, his first without first-team appearances, he played 73 farm league games with a .206 batting average and 16 RBIs. The announcement coincided with the start of the first round of cost-reduction notices in Japanese professional baseball. Nakamura expressed gratitude to fans, staff, and teammates, and stated his intention to continue his professional baseball career with another team.