Japanese baseball star Michihiro Ogasawara has been handed a $4.4 million pay cut, smashing the previous salary slashing record just over half that amount.
Ogasawara had been on a two-year deal with the top-ranking Yomiuri Giants worth a whopping 430 million yen ($5.2 million) per season, the joint highest pay cheque in the league.
But after a dismal few months in the infield, during which he was twice relegated to the club’s farm team after suffering injuries, Ogasawara declared himself happy with a meagre 70 million yen.
“I feel contented that I was allowed to sign a contract after all,” 39-year-old Ogasawara told Japanese media. “I am all determined to work hard next season. It’s like starting from zero.”
He played in 34 games for the Giants this year, his fewest since his rookie season in 1997, batting .152 and scoring four runs-batted-in with no home-run.
Ogasawara won the Pacific League’s Most Valuable Player Award with the Nippon Ham Fighters in 2006 and moved to the Giants in 2007 to win the Central League’s MVP in the same year.
Japan baseball star takes $4.4m pay cut
