It could be the shortest signing in ABL history.
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Yuhi Sako's set to return for his second season with the Canberra Cavalry - unless he gets picked up in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball draft on Thursday instead.
If his NPB dream comes true then it will be up to his new club whether he'll be making the trip Down Under to Canberra.
He'll also set a flattering precedent for the Cavalry as the first player drafted from the Aussie club to the Japanese majors.
Sako's one of two signings the Cavalry will announce on Wednesday, along with fellow pitcher Kodai Hamaya.
Hamaya's a product of the NPB, having spent time with the Yokohama Baystars - who share close ties with the Cavalry.
The Baystars will send two players out this summer as well, while the Cavalry have formed a new alliance with South Korea's Tigers.
![Yuhi Sako has re-signed with the Cavalry for a second season - but he could get picked up in the NPB draft instead. Picture SMP Images Yuhi Sako has re-signed with the Cavalry for a second season - but he could get picked up in the NPB draft instead. Picture SMP Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/reqbnGrLXyZFax2TwSi3Na/efbfd63e-f31b-411e-8b7b-06270bf91d4e.jpeg/r0_209_2048_1365_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
They'll send five players out this season - with two of those for half of the campaign.
Those players will be announced later in the week.
Sako spent last season coming out of the Cavalry bullpen and will perform a similar role this summer.
He had an earned-run average of just 1.8 from his six games in 2022-23.
Cavalry general manager Ciaran O'Rourke will be excited whatever happens with Sako at Thursday's draft.
"It's an interesting one with Yuhi. We're obviously really excited to have him come back, but we could be even more excited if he gets drafted into the NPB," O'Rourke said.
"It is a pretty good kudos to our program that we've got somebody out of the Industrial League in Japan, put them in the shop window and they ended up in the States.
"And now they're entering into the draft so it shows what's possible coming out of Japan and it shows the depth and quality they've got over there that aren't necessarily getting the time of day."
Sako came out of the Japanese Industrial League - the equivalent of the independent leagues in the USA - before starring for the Cavs.
It led to him spending this year with the New Jersey Jackals in the Frontier League.
Now he's on the verge of Japan's big time.
O'Rourke saw the Industrial League as an untapped resource he hoped the Cavalry could tap into.
"We're talking to another player to come over as well later in the season - similar to how Yuhi ended up with us last year," he said.
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"Having that ability to get into there and the contact and the knowledge through someone like Yuhi is invaluable.
"It's an avenue that hasn't been explored to its full potential in the ABL yet."
Hamaya spent six seasons in the NPB system - with the Tohoku Golden Eagles for most of them and then the Baystars as well.
He's since been plying his trade in Mexico and Italy the past two years, but the 30-year-old was keen to live in Australia.
The Cavalry see him as capable of slotting into their starting rotation.
A left-armer, Hamaya has a career ERA of 3.85, with an ERA of 8.06 from his 40 games in the NPB.
"We think there's a long-term prospect with Kodai to get some experience into our line-up and to have him here as a long-term prospect to work with our pitchers - and work with that Japanese relationship as well," O'Rourke said.
"He comes with six years in the major leagues in Japan so there's a lot he can offer us in developing not only those relationships with Japan, but experience at a higher level of baseball."
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