Chunichi’s Offseason Woes: No Reinforcements for Inoue, Takahashi’s Retention Only Win

“I can’t help but feel sorry for Manager Inoue.”

Amid a wave of FA declarations from key players across various teams, Chunichi’s Shuhei Takahashi (30) has decided to stay with the team by signing a multi-year contract.

It is good news for Inoue Kazuki, the new manager who took over the team from the previous manager, Kazuyoshi Tachinami (55), who resigned after three consecutive seasons in last place, but this is said to be the team’s meager gift to the new manager.

“Shuhei was selected for the Best Nine in 2019, and in both 2019 and 2020, he won the Golden Glove Award. He was a third baseman known for his solid play both offensively and defensively. However, since the time of former manager Tatsuya, his number of games played has been steadily decreasing, and this season he only played 60 games. Last year, he was dissatisfied with the low evaluation from the team, and there were rumors that he might leave Chunichi through free agency or a trade” (team official).

Due to the financial situation of the parent company, Chunichi has been in a difficult position with limited funds for several years.

“Under former manager Tatsuya, who was the face of Nagoya, the team was able to pull in Sho Nakata (35) from the Giants with a multi-year contract worth an estimated 300 million yen. However, it seems that Inoue will not receive such a gift signing. Instead, the team invested a large sum of money in Shuhei Takahashi and offered coaching deals to ensure his stay. This year, many FA players are entering the market, but the team is expected not to participate, and this is being positioned as a gift to Inoue. It’s so cheap, it’s hard not to feel sorry for Inoue” (same source).

Looking at the current situation, Koji Fukutani (33) and Takuya Kinoshita (32) have both exercised their domestic free agency rights, and Shinnosuke Ogasawara (27), a key member of the starting rotation, is expected to challenge the Major Leagues through posting.

“With at least three key players possibly absent next season, the team’s inability to cover for them is a huge blow. They really want to compete for FA acquisitions like Softbank’s Shuta Ishikawa (32) and Hanshin’s Yusuke Oyama (29), but with no financial strength, they can’t even get to the starting line.

The only saving grace is that Manager Inoue himself managed to draft the best left-handed pitcher in the amateur world, Yumeto Kanemaru (21, Kansai University), despite competing with other teams in the draft. Next year, it’s highly likely the team will continue to struggle, and a fourth consecutive last-place finish in the Central League seems imminent. Before considering Inoue’s skills as a manager, the team lacks the necessary talent, and it’s really unfortunate” (former team official).

It seems that Chunichi fans will have another year of sleepless nights ahead.