The Softbank Hawks of Japan's top professional baseball league are near a contract agreement with first baseman Bryan LaHair, Sanspo reported Wednesday (as translated by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker).
LaHair, 30, received his first extended major league look in 2012 and earned a spot on the All-Star team thanks to a first half when he hit .286/.364/.519 with 14 home runs (including a 1.251 OPS and five home runs in April). In the second half, LaHair looked more like the minor league lifer-type who defined his career up until 2012 -- he hit just .202/.269/.303 with two home runs in 119 post-break plate appearances.
Now LaHair, designated for assignment by the Cubs as they set their 40-man roster Tuesday, could be headed for Japan. Softbank brought in a similar player last season in Wily Mo Pena, fitting the same high-power, poor-contact mold as LaHair. Pena, a career .250/.303/.445 hitter in eight big-league seasons, hit .280/.339/.490 with the Hawks, mashing 21 home runs and 30 doubles in 130 games.
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