<figure id="attachment_345481" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-345481" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="08eec7b6"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/11/2f388ba047ecbe7fdef1e1fd92c77b81.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-345481" class="wp-caption-text">Yoshida finished with three wins in five years at NIHAM</figcaption></figure>
<p class="p3"><span class="strongInContent"><span class="s1"> I was surprised because I couldn&#8217;t have predicted it. &#8230;&#8230; It&#8217;s my first time, so I don&#8217;t really feel it.&#8221;</span></span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1"> Kosei Yoshida, 22, of Nippon-Ham, was not able to hide his confusion as he addressed the press before the team&#8217;s closing ceremony in Sapporo, Hokkaido, on November 24. The announcement was made on the same day of a one-for-one trade between Yoshida and Orix&#8217;s Yuta Kuroki. Yoshida had just renewed his contract three days earlier for an estimated 16 million yen per year, a decrease of 4 million yen.</span></p>
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<p class="p3"><span class="strongInContent"><span class="s1"> Nichi-Ham also made a drastic trade. Yoshida, who was the runner-up pitcher at the Koshien (Koshien) National High School Baseball Championships in Akita Prefecture and was drafted first overall, is in his fifth year as a professional baseball player. It is surprising to release a pitcher who is not only popular as &#8220;Akita&#8217;s star&#8221; but also has a future with a straight line of over 150 km/h. On the other hand, Yoshida had been sluggish.</span></span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="strongInContent"><span class="s1"> On the other hand, it is probably true that Yoshida has been sluggish, winning only three games in five years, perhaps because of the success he has experienced. Yoshida&#8217;s most attractive point is his powerful straight ball, but he won his first win in his first professional start against Hiroshima in June 2007 by &#8220;dodging pitches. Daisuke Araki, the manager of the second team when he joined the team, said, &#8216;He pitches like an old man who relies on breaking pitches.</span></span></p>
<h2> Starting or Relieving?</h2>
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<p class="p3"><span class="s1"> Since then, Yoshida has also improved his straight ball. However, he may have been dissatisfied with the way he was used. As he told those around him, &#8220;I want to be an ace in the future,&#8221; Yoshida is a strong believer in being a starter. On the other hand, in recent years, he had mostly pitched as a reliever.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="strongInContent"><span class="s1"> I think he had mixed feelings. Even though he understood that he was still not good enough, he wanted to pitch as a starter. I think Nichi-Ham also understood Yoshida&#8217;s wish, but this season they had a strong starting pitching lineup with Naoyuki Uesawa, Takayuki Kato, and Hiromi Ito. In addition, Fukuya Yamazaki will join from Orix next season. There is almost no room for Yoshida.</span></span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="strongInContent"><span class="s1"> The trade to the Orix was probably done out of the goodwill of manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo and the team&#8217;s executives. Unlike NIHAM, the Orix have ace YOSHINOBU YAMAMOTO, who has challenged for a major league contract, and as mentioned above, YAMAZAKI, who won 11 games this season, has declared himself an FA. There is a possibility that Yoshida can compete for a spot in the rotation. I think they released him in consideration of Yoshida&#8217;s hopes and prospects.</span></span></p>
<p> It seems to be a hopeful trade for Yoshida.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Why Orix is the best choice for Yoshida"></div>
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<p class="p3"><span class="s1">The Orix may be the perfect team for Yoshida.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="strongInContent"><span class="s1"> The Orix team has a reputation for nurturing players,&#8221; said Yoshida. The development system is supported by the staff of the former Nichi-Ham, which once nurtured many top-class players such as Yu Darvish and Shohei Otani. GM Junichi Fukura, manager Satoshi Nakajima, pitching coach Kazuyuki Atsusawa, and traveling head coach Seiichiro Nakagaki. &#8230;&#8230;</span></span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="strongInContent"><span class="s1"> In particular, manager Nakajima is from Akita Prefecture, the same prefecture as Yoshida, and will be able to relate to Yoshida in spirit. I think there is a good chance that Yoshida will awaken at Orix, which is familiar with the situation at Nichi-Ham and has a high level of ability to nurture players.</span></span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s1"> Yoshida created a &#8220;Kinzoku whirlwind&#8221; at Koshien. Will he be able to pitch in the professional world and make fans&#8217; hearts dance once again?</span></p>
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 Kyodo News

 It was a surprise trade. Kosei Yoshida of the Nippon Ham baseball team is moving to the Orix. He was the first pick in the draft to enter the professional ranks after creating a "Kinzoku whirlwind" at Koshien. Why was this promising youngster released? We introduce the circumstances that make sense.

Kosei Yoshida, the star of Akita, is transferred to the Orix.

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