Midori no Ya! An *** Expansion Dynasty

[tehsuigi]

This takes place in an alternate COVID-free universe.

TOKYO - November 5, 2020

The celebrations taking place in Tokyo, as the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles completed their Japan Series win over the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 5 games, were overshadowed by news from *** headquarters elsewhere in the metropolis - the league is expanding.

A number of factors pushed *** commissioner Atsushi Saito to even consider expansion. The 2020 Olympics and the attention the Japanese national team garnered, the chance of an MLB lockout in 2022 and the resulting viewership from North America, and most importantly, pressure from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Regardless of what the drivers were, the announcement that the league would expand by two teams in 2022, and a further two teams in 2024 (the 90th anniversary of pro ball in Japan), sent the media into a frenzy.

Which cities would be given franchises? Who from the existing 12 would be exposed? And is the talent level sufficient to support a 16-team league?

The first question had a few possible answers:

• Niigata would be an early frontrunner for a franchise, with the Komatsu corporation stepping up quickly to fund a team, and the existing ballpark already major league ready
• Okinawa already tried to launch a pro team with the Ryukyu Blue Oceans, but with that club disbanded, a further bid would be seen as risky. The question is, who would sponsor the team? The ballpark is ready to go with a little expansion.
• A team in Shikoku would make sense, with Matsuyama in Ehime prefecture close to Hiroshima and with a modern ballpark. The existing independent league on the island was making a stink about the threat to their survival, though...
• And then there's the field - places like Nagano, Okayama, Aomori, Kumamoto, Kitakyushu, Shizuoka, and Nagasaki where 30,000-seat ballparks already exist and can be repurposed. Various issues with each of them, especially market size, can cause problems with a bid. Heck, even other cities in the Kansai region like Kyoto and Kobe could work, minus the territorial intrusion to the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes.

As the 2021 season dragged on, you could tell the evolution of the league from the sports dailies' headlines:

• Honda's In - Will Sponsor Team in Ehime Prefecture
• Shikoku Island League Launches Civil Suit to Protect Their Market from ***
• Is Kirin Investing in ***? Rumours Swirl, Company Does Not Comment
• Naha City Readies Bid for *** Expansion
• Kyoto Confirms - No *** Expansion Plans
• Okayama City Opens RFP for Muscat Stadium Expansion
• Okinawa Government Announces Private Sector Support for *** Team in Naha
• Chunichi Dragons Confirm - Shizuoka is Their Territory
• BlueWave Fans Urge *** to Consider Kobe for Expansion

Ultimately, as the 2021 postseason started, four bids were selected as winners:

MATSUYAMA on Shikoku, owned by Honda
NIIGATA, with Komatsu owning the team
NAHA in Okinawa, owned by Kirin
SHIZUOKA...wait, what?

The selection of Shizuoka stunned most observers, as the team lacked a modern ballpark and a primary owner. Should the CL select the franchise, they'd also be intruding on the Chunichi Dragons' market in nearby Nagoya.

The loser of the Japan Series would get the first selection of the four bids to join their league, with the winner getting the next selection. That would turn out to be the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, who were swept by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

The expansion selections are to be made shortly. See below...

[tehsuigi]

TOKYO - October 17, 2021

The owners' groups of the Central and Pacific Leagues have completed their selections for the expansion bids approved by *** earlier this month.

The Central League, picking first, opted for the strongest bid - the Niigata franchise, owned by Komatsu Ltd, will begin play in 2022, and participate in an expansion draft during the offseason. Komatsu CEO Hiroyuki Ogawa was ebullient in his remarks, grateful for the opportunity to join Japan's finest teams and hoping to bring high quality baseball to the Sea of Japan coast.

The Pacific League selected the Naha franchise, owned by Kirin Corporation, next. However, the PL would announce that this franchise would begin play in 2024, the second round of expansion. No explanation was given at the time. Kirin CEO Yoshinori Isozaki declined to comment.

The Central League will be heading to the island of Shikoku in 2024, with the Honda-owned Matsuyama franchise selected third. Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo is confident the civil suit underway instigated by the Shikoku Island League Plus can be amicably resolved in time.

Finally, the Pacific League selected the Shizuoka franchise to start in 2022 alongside Niigata-Komatsu. Present at the announcement were representatives of the team's consortium of owners - Sumitomo Corp, Fuji Dream Airlines, JR Central, and Ito En Ltd (whose president, Yosuke Honjo, will represent the team in the PL owners' group). Although the team is at least funded, a consortium does tend to lead to smaller budgets (such as that of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp), a constraint whichever GM takes the job will be stuck with.

The *** expansion draft will see all players with less than 2 years' professional service time unavailable, with up to 22 players to be selected. Each team can only lose 8 players to the draft, with the draft running 40 rounds deep (to assist in building out the farm team).

Niigata's farm team will be located along the same Shinkansen line in Takasaki, added to the Eastern League. Shizuoka's farm team joins the Western League out of Hamamatsu, just east of Nagoya.

[tehsuigi]

SHIZUOKA - October 29, 2021

The nascent *** franchise in town has announced a number of hirings to their front office.

• The team's General Manager is tehsuigi, who previously was GM of the Shinano Grandserows of the BCL. During his two years there, the team finished fourth, then stunned everyone by winning both halves of the schedule and coming a game away from winning the BCL championship. Given that team's preference for pitching prowess and defense over offense, that should give a hint as to what Shizuoka's squad may be.
• Ryan Sadowski was hired as Assistant GM, who retired from the Lotte Giants of the KBO in 2012. This would be his first GM role.
• Chris Buckley joins the team as Scouting Director, with 16 years of experience, most recently two with the Kagawa Olive Guyners of the SILP.
• Takahiko Kusunoki has joined as the team's lead athletic trainer; he previously served that role for the Chiba Lotta Marines the last two seasons

The coaching staff is to be announced after the expansion draft. GM tehsuigi stated "It would be improper for me to get coaches without considering their harmony and fit to the team. Like the book says, ya gotta have wa."

[tehsuigi]

TOKYO - November 14, 2021

In advance of the *** First Year Draft, the two new franchises finally revealed their names and logos.

First, the team drafting first in the expansion draft - the Shizuoka Arrows. "Arrows" was rumoured to be the team's nickname after the name was leaked on a standard player contract sent to an ex-BCL player.

No PL team has worn green as a primary colour since the Nankai Hawks were sold in 1988. GM tehsuigi indicated that it was in reference to Shizuoka's preeminence as Japan's green tea capital.

Second, the team drafting first in the First Year Draft - the Niigata Komatsu Bears.

An unconventionally muted colour palette of mauve, teal, and grey brings the colder winters to mind, but will definitely stand out in the primary colours and bright orange of the Central League.

Okay, something may have gone kerschmorgled with my expansion draft, so I may have to roll back the draft results below. Fingers crossed.
EDIT: yep, something went sideways and my team's not listed anymore. Rolling back!! Will re-do this tomorrow.
EDIT 2: fun fact - changing the subleague your expansion team is in removes them from the expansion draft order!

[tehsuigi]

Okay, thanks to the restore, we're now drafting second in draft, first in expansion (and I've updated the above news posts).

SHIZUOKA - November 8, 2021

It's not much, but it is a start. The Shizuoka franchise, as yet unnamed, has completed its first signing. Catcher Yuto Egawa, formerly in the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles minor league system, has signed a minor league deal.

GM tehsuigi was grounded about the news. "We're just getting our feet wet and fleshing out the minor leagues. We have to be extremely judicious and opportunistic in our free agent signings in these early years."

I have honestly spammed like 10 MiLCs so far - lots of independent league chaff who can build out the ni-gun.

[tehsuigi]

TOKYO, November 15, 2021

The 2021 *** draft had its fair share of fanfare, with the Niigata Komatsu Bears and Shizuoka Arrows showing off their new uniforms along with their first round selections.

The Bears selected shortstop Natsuki Hashimoto from Waseda University first overall, while the Arrows chose center fielder Shizue Uchino from Heian High School. [...]

Uchino has committed to Waseda University, but a guy with 60 range, 55 error, and 80 arm to start with AND high leadership AND a 50 HR Power current is too good to pass up.

Here's the rest of the draft picks I made:

1. Shizue Uchino
2. Azumamaro Masuda, rightie starter from Keio Univ - the best starter in the draft class, even if he's already Fragile and only has three pitches (all decent tho)
3. Toyoharu Miyake, leftie shortstop from Tsuruga Kehi HS. Bat is eh, but defense is solid.
4. Tsuna Kitagawa, second baseman from Saibi HS. Got some pop in his bat!
5. Hideyuki Kuga, catcher from Ritsumeikan University. 70 catcher ability to make the most of my plugs.
6. Tadashi Imai, left fielder from Nishogakusha HS. 50 contact potential and leadership skills. Defense is eh, but we're in the DH league.
7. Hiroshi Nakano, defense-first outfielder from Kyoto Univ.
8. Takuhiro Isobe, another Tsuruga Kehi grad, this one left fielder with slightly better defense. If his bat develops, he'll be solid.
9. Kiyoyuki Yamada, defensive 3B from Ritsumeikan Univ.
10. Hyogo Mizuno, leftie reliever from Meiji University. Guy's got a 70 grade changeup already; I just hope the rest of him catches up.

The Bears graphics (and Comets and Spirit, in due time) are all from MUFC1878's thread here, while the Arrows is a colour-shifted version of knuckler and txranger's work here, with a new white-panel home cap by me.

[tehsuigi]

GM NOTEBOOK: 2021-11-17

Okay, first ever expansion draft. Lots of chaff, some decent options, and I've got the first overall pick. I know exactly who to get first, and I just hope I can get to everyone else I want in time...

PITCHERS

SP: Daiki Iwashta (M), Nao Higashihama (L), Shotaro Kasahara (D), Masahiro Inui (F), Chihaya Sasaki (M), Kazuki Yabuta (C), Hiroki Kondo (E), Kosuke Sakaguchi (DB)

RP: Kyohei Nakamura (C), Shunta Nakatsuka (L), Jumpei Takahashi (E), Sachiya Yamasaki (B), Yu Sato (S), Shogo Noda (L), Hikaru Nakao (S)

BATTERS

C: Yoshtaka Isomura (C), Shuto Takajo (DB)

1B: Keita Sano (DB), Takumi Oshiro (G), Takumi Kitamura (G)

2B: Ryo Watanabe (F), Masahiro Nishino (B), Daisuke Nakai (DB), Hayato Mizowaki (D)

3B: Shu Masuda (H), Shumei Miyamoto (DB), Naomasa Yohkawa (T)

SS: Masaki Mimori (H), Kyohei Nagae (L), Tetsuro Nishida (H)

LF: Taiki Sekine (DB), Yuma Mune (B), Issei Endo (D)

CF: Kosuke Ito (D), Kotaro Yamasaki (S), Soichiro Tateoka (G)

RF: Taishi Kusumoto (DB), Masahiro Nakatani (T), Yutaro Itayama (T), Masaki Iwami (E)

I've blown past my budget (which was tiny to begin with tbf), but Ito and Masuda were steals. Sano as team captain is an obvious choice, too.

You'll also note a distinct lack of foreign players; I'll be addressing that through free agency!

[tehsuigi]

GM NOTEBOOK: 2021-11-26

Winter meetings. No one wants to give me the time of day. I should not be surprised, I'm the new guy in town. Still hurts. Have dinner with Jose Miguel Ramirez, the GM of Komatsu. Seems nice.

Heard why we got in instead of Okinawa. Turns out the Ryukyu Blue Oceans, the previous pro team, still had a lease at the main ballpark in Naha. Kirin's just gonna wait them out instead of spending money. Typically confrontation-averse Japanese business.

SHIZUOKA, December 1, 2021

The Shizuoka Arrows held a press conference today to introduce their coaching staff at long last. GM tehsuigi started the introductions by stating that they looked for fit with their team and its contact-first philosophy.

• Kosaburo Akiyama brings 14 years of managing experience in the amateur ranks.
• Eishin Soyogi, former Carp third baseman, will be given his first coaching gig as bench coach.
• Shigeki Nakamoto, pitching coach, again with 15 years with amateur experience
• Tomokatsu Kondo joins as hitting coach from the Kagawa Olive Guyners, his employer for the prior two years
• Basilio Cabrera joins the ni-gun team as manager with 13 years of experience in the Dominican academies
• Kiyohki Nakanishi will be ni-gun pitching coach and ostensible translator for Cabrera and...
• Paco Figueroa, formerly hitting coach for the Phillies, will fill that role for the ni-gun

[tehsuigi]

OFFSEASON TRANSACTION SUMMARY

December
* Just after the winter meetings, added Anderson Reynoso, Anderson Pilar, Andrew Schultz, and Colby White, all on minor league deals. First two are high-40s potential starters, latter are 50s-60s relievers who could be contributors as soon as this season (which says something about my squad)
* Mid-December, made two domestic FA deals, adding Kenya Wakatsuki to a minor-league deal with a major league option from Orix, and Yuta Takano from the BCL (50 contact, 60 DEF at RF, exactly my type of player)
* Sent Soichiro Tateoka to the Swallows for Anthony Guardado - needed to shed some payroll stuck in the minors.
* Sent Kyohei Nagae to the Buffaloes for Chris Rusin - same idea.
* Sent Issei Endo back to the Dragons whom I drafted him from to save further dosh, getting Ryosuke Kishisato back
* Purchased Fidel Mejia, a Dominican shortstop from the Saitama Musashi Heat Bears for 250K. He'll be handling primary duties in the infield because Masaki Mimori's a bit too young.

January
* Signed more minor-league depth, Seiya Dohi (LHP), Hiroyuki Shirasaki (3B), Kiyoharu Sawano (SS).
* Made another major league deal, adding 34-year-old Ryoichi Adachi to be our main shortstop at 1yr/240K. Mejia's still got room to grow, so Adachi's likely just a stopgap, especially since he only was worth 0.6 WAR last year with Orix.

February
* Signed Wander Cabrera as another Dominican starter prospect. I gotta hit on one of these guys, right?
* One final major-league deal, signing Connor Greene to 1yr/350K to likely be our staff ace. Greene left the Royals in 2020, spent a year in the Giants AA/AAA teams, and now has a chance to prove his mettle.

[tehsuigi]

2022 *** SCHEDULE RELEASED

TOKYO - January 20, 2022

*** stunned observers with a noticeably changed schedule for the 2022 season, adding year-round interleague play along with the two expansion teams.

The secretary of ***, Atsushi Ihara, explained that this was a temporary measure for the next two seasons due to the odd number of teams per league. Moving to two leagues of 8 and 8 will permit a set interleague timeframe again.

The Shizuoka Arrows will inaugurate their franchise on the road, visiting the Saitama Seibu Lions at MetLife Dome on Friday March 25 for a three-game set. They will then travel to the hallowed halls of Hanshin Koshien Stadium to take on the Tigers, before hosting them at Kusanagi Stadium on Thursday, March 31 for the first *** game in Shizuoka played by its own team.

The Niigata Komatsu Bears, on the other hand, play Opening Day at Yokohama against the DeNA BayStars, before heading up to HARD OFF Eco Stadium in Niigata to host the Swallows from Saturday March 26 to Tuesday March 28.

Sidebar: my schedule got lumpy, and I don't have the brainpower to fix it right now.

[tehsuigi]

GM Notebook - March 19, 2022

Spring training always brings lessons to be learned. Mine was that I signed too many position players to minor league deals, and had to shed a good number of them to get my organization back down to 70 contracts. Hiroyuki Shirasaki, Tomotaka Sakaguchi, Naomasa Yohkawa, Ryosuke Kishisato, Daisuke Nakai, and Andrew Schultz were all cut. Still need to shed about 4 more before Opening Day.

Traded Masao Nishida, a minor-league catcher, to Hanshin for a closer named Camilo Doval who's got potential. Will give him a spin this last week of ST to see what he's made of.

We're 8-16 in Spring Training, tied with Nippon-Ham for last in the PL and Niigata Komatsu over in the CL. It's expected. Kyohei Nakamura has 6 saves, though, so at least that's working for us. The rest of the team is...suspect. For a contact-first team, not seeing too many batting averages over .200. Our rotation's in pieces, but I kinda expected that.

Update March 21

Those other cuts were Ginjiro Fujiwara, Hiroshi Nakano (draft pick), Kazuaki Oishi, and Anthony Guardado.

Also sent CF Kotaro Yamasaki to the Swallows for Kirby Snead; figured another mid-tier bullpen arm would help. Saved a bit of cash, too.

And FINALLY put Tsuyoshi Sonoda's name in the rotation - he took all offseason to sign my 1yr/480K offer.

[tehsuigi]

LIONS 7, ARROWS 2

TOKOROZAWA - March 25, 2021

Mark these down in your history books, Arrows fans. The first hit in franchise history was recorded by Ryo Watanabe with 2 out in the top of the first inning.

The first error was committed by Yuta Takano in the bottom half of the same inning, dropping a high fly ball to right to let Hotaka Yamakawa get to second and allow Sosuke Genda to score.

The Saitama Seibu Lions would add three more runs on a Wataru Takagi home run in the bottom of the second and a solo home run from Hotaka Yamakawa in the third, before they finally got their first strikeout victim - Shohei Suzuki swung on a 3-2 offering from Tsuyoshi Sonoda.

It took until the top of the 9th for the first RBI in Arrows history, when Fidel Mejia shot a Sho Miyagiwa pitch into the left-field gap, scoring Masuda and Sano.

The next game, the Arrows pummelled Taiki Ono and the Lions 19-2. Kosuke Ito had a 4-hit game, with Ito, Shu Masuda, Ryo Watanabe, Kenya Wakatsuki, and Seiya Yamazaki (twice!) all hitting dingers. First one in franchise history is Watanabe's, a two-out solo shot in the first. Masahiro Inui went 7 innings allowing 2 runs, earning the team's first win. Yamazaki's 11th inning solo shot would prove the winner in the rubber match, and all of a sudden, the Arrows have their first series win.

[tehsuigi]

ARROWS 7, TIGERS 5

SHIZUOKA - March 31, 2022

The bunting was hung from the rafters as Kusanagi Stadium welcomed the Shizuoka Arrows and Hanshin Tigers for the Arrows' home opener.

Things looked grim for the home side, nursing a 5-0 deficit heading into the bottom of the 8th, until the Arrows' offense burst out with 6 unanswered runs before a single out was recorded, ultimately ending the inning with a 7-5 lead. Designated hitter Yuma Mune's bases-loaded single knotted the score, with Yuta Takano's walk afterwards the go-ahead run. Kyohei Nakamura pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the deal.

Incredibly, we're finishing March 3-3.

[tehsuigi]

GM NOTEBOOK - May 1, 2022

What the hell happened. We were 3-3, and now we're 8-24. 12 game losing streak. April suuuucked.

Our starting pitching got absolutely rim-rocked, our bullpen blew save after save, and our offense, although 2nd in the PL, couldn't keep up.

Going to be making some dramatic moves to try and get back in the winning column for good. Azumamaro Masuda, our second-round pick last year, is up with the big club to start (hey we're 7th in ERA, what could go wrong?). Bullpen has three new faces. Sending a message by sending Shu Masuda and other underperformers to the ni-gun, bringing up some new faces.

This season's a year-long try-out. Let's try some guys out, then!

[tehsuigi]

GM NOTEBOOK - July 1, 2022

Well, it kinda worked? We went 11-13 in May and June, although now our offense has cooled off. The team's not thrilled with where things are, but I have to give them credit for scuffling through like they have.

Connor Greene won Rookie of the Month in June, so I'm glad about that. Also nice to see Tomohiro Abe's done well the last few months, he's earned an extension.

Time to survey the team and see who I can offload for prospects. Shop a few guys around, add more leadership to the room, stuff like that. We're just 2.5 games back of Seibu, and one hot month could be enough to get us there.

tehsuigi gets busy

* Sent Yutaro Itayama and Tora Otsuka, two left fielders, to the Swallows for SP Arata Shiino and RP Hiroki Yamada, the latter of whom has leader ability
* Sent 1B Takumi Oshiro, LHP Wander Cabrera, and RHP Shoichi Ino to the BayStars for 3B Hayate Nishino, 3B Toby Welk, and the prize, LHP Yudai Mori. I really like Mori's makeup, and we're in dire need of major-league ready pitching.
* Sent RHP Yu Sato back home to the Dragons for RHP Takuya Mitsuma.

At the All-Star Break, we sit 34-54, 18 games back of Orix who leads the PL. We're 1.5 back of Seibu and Komatsu for not in dead last, though - that's our goal.
All-Star Nominations: RP Sachiya Yamasaki, CL Kyohei Nakamura, RF Yuta Takano (who leads the team with 2.6 WAR and a .290/.343/.473 slash line)

And one last trade: sending SS Ryoichi Adachi (who requested the move) and 1B Takumi Kitamura (just didn't do anything with his bat) to Niigata Komatsu for 1B Ginji (one of my favourite IRL players) and LF Omar Carrizales.

[tehsuigi]

2022 SEASON REVIEW

This is my first time doing an expansion team...are they also supposed to be this bad? At least we only finished 13th out of 14 teams - the Bears did worse than us by a few games. Heck, we weren't even the only team with a 12-game losing streak, as the Chiba Lotte Marines pulled off the feat to finish the season.

Still, 55-87 is bad. Our supposed strength - contact bats - flopped fantastically. I think I need to refocus on Avoid K's as well. I knew pitching was going to stink, but this is REALLY atrocious. May actually have to spend money this offseason, at least buying guys from independent leagues.

Players who I'm pleased with:
* Ginji (.742 OPS since joining the Arrows)
* Tomohiro Abe (1.6 WAR in 103 GP)
* Omar Carrizales (.972 OPS in 24 GP; he's earned a roster spot next year if the price is right)
* Kosuke Ito (.726 OPS and 2 WAR in 83 GP; he's earned the spot next year)
* Yuta Takano (team MVP, 14 HRs to pace the squad)
* Connor Greene (3.19 FIP and 2.5 WAR to pace the rotation, also stayed healthy all year)
* Jumpei Takahashi (an actual winning record at 8-7, and a 3.14 ERA)
* Takuya Mitsuma (10 saves with a 2.36 ERA since joining the club)
* Sachiya Yamasaki (76 IP and only a 2.25 ERA; solid contributor)

[tehsuigi]

FINALLY! BUFFALOES WIN FIRST JAPAN SERIES

OSAKA - October 16, 2022

From 1949 until their merger in 2004, the Kintetsu Buffaloes name had never won a Japan Series. Pennant pushes in 1979, 1980, 1989, and 2001 were each foiled. The franchise didn't even bother to recognize the four titles the Hankyu Braves and Orix BlueWave, and were the brunt of many a joke as a result.

Joke no more - the Orix Buffaloes are, at long last, Japan Series champions. They won Game 6 of the series with a walk-off RBI single by shortstop Ryo Ota (series MVP, no less) in the 10th inning, sending the Kyocera Dome into a festival atmosphere.

The Buffaloes almost didn't even make it this far, requiring 16 innings and a sayonara home run by star second baseman Tetsuto Yamada to win the PL Climax Series Final Stage in seven games over the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks; had the Hawks won, Orix would have been reverse-swept to add insult to injury.

No need for dwelling on that now - for long-suffering Buffaloes players like Takahiro Okada, Masataka Yoshida, and Taisuke Kondo, not to mention their fans, it's THEIR turn to jump in the Dotonbori river.

Other champions in 2022
* MLB: Tampa Bay Rays (blocking a Dodgers 3-peat)
* KBO: LG Twins
* CPBL: Uni-President Lions
* BCL: Shinano Grandserows, the team that tehsuigi built

[tehsuigi]

2022 Arrows Awards

* Kiyoharu Sawano earned a Mitsui Golden Glove Award at Shortstop.
* Yuta Takano placed second in Rookie of the Year voting behind a unanimous selection of Hawks 1B Richard Sunagawa O'Brien

[tehsuigi]

2022 *** First Year Draft Results

TOKYO - November 15, 2022

Some familiar faces at the front of the draft order this year, as the Niigata Komatsu Bears and Shizuoka Arrows again drafted first and second.

The Bears selected first baseman Tadashi Nakamura from Okinawa Shogaku HS first overall - he could easily be a four-tool player and the key piece the Bears need to succeed in the future.

The Arrows selected Tadahachi Ogawa from Meiji University second overall. Although his fielding profiles as an average right fielder, his bat and speed could play in the majors right now, according to scouts. If his contact skills develop as expected, he could be a .300 hitter in short order.

1. Tadahachi Ogawa, as above
2. Atsunori Nishiyama, Meiji's left fielder. His power and eye are already ***-ready; just need to work on his defense.
3. Hiroshi Morita, a third baseman/right fielder from Rikkyo University. I like his defense and his avoid K's stat.
4. Kintaro Sasaki, a centre-fielder from Nihon Bunri HS. Likely profiles as a defensive type.
5. Satoshi Onishi, second baseman from PL Gakuen. Leadership ability, good hands, pop in his bat.
6. Norio Yoshioka, another high catcher-ability guy.
7. Baiko Murayama, first baseman from Kasukabe Kyoei HS, who won this year's Koshien.
8. HIdenobu Arakaki from Todai. The guy can play every position except the battery.
9. Yoshinori Kanda, righty reliever from Hirosho HS. Big palooka (6'5" at age 18!), and has leadership skills.
10. Shunsuke Abe, a flame-throwing right-hander from Kansai University.

Post-script: Tadahachi Ogawa failed to sign a deal with the Arrows, and thus Shizuoka will receive the #3 pick in next year's draft as compensation. (guy wanted a major league deal!!)

[tehsuigi]

2022 Offseason Update: Arrows Reloading

SHIZUOKA - November 27, 2022

GM tehsuigi was quick at work as soon as the free agency period opened, pouncing on multiple opportunities to add pitching and leadership to the team.

New Arrows 1B Sho Nakata and 2B Shuhei Takahashi were named alternate captains, joining 1B Keita Sano in instilling a winning culture in Shizuoka.

On the pitching side, leftie starters Yuki Takahashi and Hiroki Tokoda were signed to one-year deals after putting up 1.6 and 1.1 WAR with Yomiuri and Hiroshima last season, respectively. This is in addition to Naoyuki Uwusawa, who joined the team with a trade-and-sign deal with the Fighters during arbitration last month, and is expected to lead the rotation this year.

The Arrows have also been active during the winter meetings on the trade front, adding right-hander Shunta Wakamatsu from Niigata Komatsu in exchange for CF Takayuki Yamazaki, and earlier today taking prospect CF Goro Suzuki from SoftBank with CF Takashi Nakayama and RF Masaki Iwami going back the other way.

Reached for comment, GM tehsuigi simply had this to say: "we have addressed our primary issue from last season in pitching, and I'm eager to see what our new additions can do in the locker room and on the field."

YU DID WHAT?

SHIZUOKA - December 2, 2022

In a move that came as a pleasant surprise to fans and industry observers, Yu Darvish has signed a one-year deal with the Shizuoka Arrows worth 290K USD. Darvish, who started his career with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2005, won his second Japan Series as a bullpen arm with the Orix Buffaloes, signing a deal with them back in September. At the conclusion of that postseason, he weighed his options and decided one more attempt with the Arrows made sense.

New acquisition Goro Suzuki was swayed to yield Darvish's traditional #11 jersey with the promise of a Rolex watch.