Reds introduce Shogo Akiyama, DFA outfielder Nick Martini

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Wednesday morning kicked off in Cincinnati with the Reds introducing their newest outfielder Shogo Akiyama to the local media at a press conference.

“The fact that there’s never been a Japanese player here in Cincinnati was something that was very attractive. And the fact that the presentation material was very inspiring, it made me want to play here,” said Shogo Akiyama. “A lot of teams were involved (in the process of free agency). The Reds were the first team that made an offer to me. I was inspired by their passion to how much they wanted me.”

While he’s the first Japanese born player to sign with the Cincinnati Reds, he’s not the first player to make the transition to the United…