Lions sign Japanese pitcher Miyamori as new Asian quota player

The Samsung Lions have signed Japanese right-hander Satoshi Miyamori as their new Asian quota player, according to a report from Yonhap on August 7. The 28-year-old pitcher will earn US$73,000 for the remainder of the season. His signing comes as a replacement for Yura Miyaji, another Japanese pitcher who struggled with a 5.87 ERA over 36 relief appearances.

During his rookie season with Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2022, Miyamori posted a remarkable 22-game scoreless streak. Over the course of his four-year tenure with the Golden Eagles, he compiled a 2-3 record, a save, 10 holds, and a 5.10 ERA in 65 1/3 innings. Prior to his move to the Lions, Miyamori played for Oisix Niigata Albirex Baseball Club during the 2026 season, amassing a 5-5 record and a 4.36 ERA in 17 appearances.

Under the new rules set by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), starting from this year, teams are permitted to sign a player from Japan, Taiwan, or Australia to fill their Asian quota, alongside their usual roster of three foreign-born players. Currently, the Lions are trailing the KT Wiz by 1 1/2 games in the 10-team KBO standings, sitting at 59-39-2 with 44 games still remaining in the season.

The Lions boast the second-best team ERA at 4.21. Over the past month, the Lions have significantly revamped their pitching staff. In July, they acquired former MLB player Chris Paddack to replace Jack O'Loughlin. Nine days later, after their ace Ariel Jurado was sidelined with shoulder inflammation, they signed Austin Voth, another former major leaguer, as a temporary replacement.

The KBO season has been temporarily halted due to extreme heat, leading to the cancellation of all remaining games for the week. It is scheduled to resume on Tuesday.