Offseasons in NPB are about change, just not exactly the type that immediately springs to mind.
Japanese baseball has seen some big-name players change teams this winter. Two-time reigning Central League MVP Yoshihiro Maru is suiting up for the Yomiuri Giants next season and All-Star second baseman Hideto Asamura is now part of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Still, on the whole, there¡¯s usually less player movement in Japan than in MLB. What does keep fans, and jersey makers, on their toes during the offseason is all the players who change numbers ¡ª a few even change their names ¡ª each year.
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