Yakult Swallows Part Ways With Eigoro Mogi Two Years After FA Signing
Tokyo Yakult Swallows will not renew Eigoro Mogi for 2027 after two injury-hit seasons. Reishi Ozawa and Keigo Kitamura are also leaving.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 2 min read 
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows will not offer infielder Eigoro Mogi a contract for the 2027 season, ending the veteran’s two-year stay in Tokyo after a free-agent move that never delivered the fresh start he had hoped for. The club confirmed the decision on Monday, October 26, alongside similar notices to pitcher Reishi Ozawa and infielder Keigo Kitamura.
Mogi, 32, joined Yakult from the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles after exercising his domestic free-agent rights following the 2024 season. He arrived with a reputation as an accomplished left-handed hitter, but a knee injury and limited playing time ultimately defined his time with the Swallows.
A free-agent gamble cut short
In his first Yakult season in 2025, Mogi hit .240 with five home runs and 16 RBIs across 53 games. He underwent surgery on the meniscus in his left knee that July, interrupting his attempt to establish himself as a regular in the Swallows infield.
He returned to first-team action in April 2026, but the opportunities remained scarce. Mogi finished the season with just 24 appearances, batting .226 with seven hits in 31 at-bats, no home runs and two RBIs. The contrast with his best years in Sendai was stark.
With Rakuten, Mogi hit 17 home runs in 2017 and collected 160 hits in 2019. Across 11 NPB seasons, his career totals stand at 858 games, a .269 batting average, 80 home runs and 309 RBIs, according to the league’s official statistics.
Japanese media reported that Mogi hopes to continue his playing career. Yakult’s announcement confirms only that the club will not renew his contract; it does not establish where he will play next.
Ozawa and Kitamura also told they will not return
The Swallows’ roster decisions extend beyond Mogi. Right-hander Reishi Ozawa, 28, appeared in 40 games with a 2.55 ERA and 11 holds in 2024, but made only 11 first-team appearances in 2026.
Infielder Keigo Kitamura, 25, also received notice after a difficult season. He hit five home runs in 46 games in 2025 but appeared in only eight first-team games this year, batting .077.
For Yakult, the three departures mark another step toward reshaping the roster for 2027. For Mogi, the immediate question is whether another NPB club will give him the opportunity that he sought when he left Rakuten two years ago.
