The real “bashing” began with “human compensation” for Hotaka Yamakawa, who joined SoftBank.

Hotaka Yamakawa of the Seibu Lions, who declared his FA status, has finally decided to join the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. According to some reports, he has signed a four-year, 1.6 billion yen contract, but it seems that he can’t be too happy about it.

Speaking of Yamakawa, in May he was charged with forcible sexual intercourse with a female acquaintance, but in August the charges were dropped due to insufficient suspicion. However, the fact of the affair remained unchanged, and he played only 17 games for the first team this season.

Yamakawa, a three-time home run champion, would conventionally have been a contender if he had declared himself an FA. However, due to his problems with women, it was difficult for him to find a new team.

Before the problems came to light, Yamakawa and Softbank were said to be “in love” with each other. However, Chairman Sadaharu Oh, who hates scandals, expressed his dislike and did not make an immediate move to acquire Yamakawa after his FA declaration.

However, this season, despite the ¥8 billion in reinforcements, the team was in a slump in third place, far from contending for the championship. Yamakawa, who fits the weak point of “a strong right-handed hitter,” is a perfect fit for the team, so they couldn’t resist sending a love call to him.

When the news that “SoftBank had confirmed the offer” was reported in the sports papers on the 13th, the team’s office was flooded with calls protesting the decision, which were also posted in the comments section of social networking services,

I don’t understand why they would sign a 1.6 billion dollar contract to a man who has caused scandals.
It doesn’t make sense to sign a 1.6 billion dollar contract to a man who has committed a scandal. There is nothing good for the fans.
I wish the team would give a clear view on why they are acquiring him.

There were many harsh comments from people who were supposed to be Softbank fans, such as, “I don’t understand why the team has to sign him.

However, the “Yamakawa bashing” by SoftBank fans is about to get serious, according to a reporter for a sports newspaper.

The focus of attention will be on who will be transferred as “human compensation” from Softbank, which is said to be a treasure trove of human resources. The Internet is already talking about it. On the other hand, it means that there is a possibility that popular players will leave Softbank.

When a team acquires a Class-A player through FA, it will have to pay human compensation. Teams are allowed to protect 28 players, excluding foreign players and players selected in the previous draft. Naturally, the list will start with the main players, but in SoftBank’s case, it appears that there are quite a few attractive players who were omitted from the list.

The list of protections will change completely, depending on whether the team is emphasizing veteran players of merit or youngsters who are growing. Besides, it also depends on whether they protect hitters or pitchers more heavily.

If young players are to be protected, pitchers Shota Takeda and Masahiro Higashihama, as well as Akira Nakamura (registered as an outfielder), who is likely to share the first base position with Yamakawa, may be left off the list. If they are transferred, the team and Yamakawa may be harshly asked if they are abandoning a player who has contributed so much to the team.

In the past, when the Yomiuri Giants acquired Yoshihiro Maru by FA, they lost veteran player Hisayoshi Nagano to Hiroshima as compensation, and the team was flooded with criticism. However, if the Giants kept the veteran player, they would be forced to release a promising young player.

Richard, who became the home run king for the second team four years in a row, Ikumi, who is on the market, and Isamu Nomura, who hit double-digit home runs in his rookie year, could all be left out.

What has fans even more anxious, especially the hawk girls (a generic term for female SoftBank fans), is the super-hot pitcher Yugio Bando. If he is leaked, there will be a lot of bashing of Yamakawa, who has had his own problems with women.

How will SoftBank fans welcome Yamakawa at the Fukuoka Dome?