SoftBank’s Only Blind Spot: Other Teams Point Out Decline of Takuya Kai, Regular Catcher, and Plans for Return of “Big OB” Coach

SoftBank is the fastest of the 12 teams to record 50 wins in a season, has accumulated more than 20 points, and is even reported to have a “100% chance of winning the championship. However, among the scorers of the other Pacific League teams who are aiming for a major turnaround, there is only one man who can be cited as a blind spot. Takuya Kai, 31, has reigned as the regular catcher for a long time.

His strong shoulders, a selling point nicknamed the “Kai Cannon,” are showing a rapid decline. His base-stealing prevention rate, which was over 40% at its peak, is in the 20% range this season, the second worst among regular catchers of the six teams. Until last year, it would have been quite difficult for Kai to steal a base, but this year, players who sell their speed and agility are saying, “This year is good! (Scorer for a Pacific League team).

Kai, who was the 6th overall pick in the developmental process in 2010, was registered as a manager in 2001, and has been the regular catcher since 2005. In April of this year, he met the requirements to become a free agent in Japan. Last offseason, he was offered a multi-year contract by a baseball team, but chose to sign a single-year deal.

He was offered a multi-year contract by a baseball team last offseason, but chose to sign a single-year deal. However, if his shoulders deteriorate, his market value will decline, as he is not the type of player who is known for his strong hitting ability.

It is true that Rakuten, Seibu, Hanshin, and other teams are suffering from a shortage of catchers, but even if he exercises his FA rights, I think it will be difficult to sign him for the kind of money he envisions. Frankly, he’s in trouble if he doesn’t. ……” (baseball team OB)

The team is expected to offer him a multi-year contract this offseason, but the estimated annual salary of 210 million yen is being called “too high.

The leaders are trying to bring up youngster Takashi Umino (26), a fifth-year college graduate who played only eight games last season, but his batting average is also too low, in the 10% range. In the past, a catcher could be used as a starter if he was a good defensive player, but in modern baseball, hitting is required. Strengthening Softbank’s catchers is probably an urgent issue.

Training catchers takes more time than other positions, including instruction on leading and blocking and confirmation of signing plays. Therefore, there is a long-held desire within SoftBank for a certain big-name baseball team alumnus to return to the team.

Kenji Jojima, 48, is a special advisor to team chairman Sadaharu Oh, 84, who is also a member of the SoftBank baseball team. Mr. Jojima has been coaching the team at its spring training camp in Miyazaki in recent years and has a good relationship with the team. He still lives around his hobby of fishing, but the fans will be happy to see the return of this popular and talented alumnus. Will he join as a head coach or train young catchers as a second team manager? There are various options.

In the world of professional baseball, where the metabolism is so intense that a naive view that as long as the team is winning, that is all that matters,……, will soon be swept under the rug. The more a team is doing well, the more it is required to look ahead and make moves.