Giants planning “second trade” following Richard’s: …… Targeting “Seibu and Orix fielders” as likely targets.

Targeting fielders, not starting pitchers

Kazuma Okamoto (28) of the Giants, who had been batting .380 with eight home runs and 25 runs batted in since the season opener, had an accident in a game against Hanshin on August 6. Okamoto was playing first base when he collided with Takumu Nakano (28), a batter who was bunting. The initial diagnosis was “muscle damage to the left elbow,” but the next day, the doctor diagnosed the injury as “ligament damage to the left elbow. He is expected to be out of action for the first half of the season, with a total recovery time of three months.

The Giants cannot afford to sit on their hands as they aim to win back-to-back pennant race championships and regain the top spot in Japan, as they did last year. They released promising young prospect Masato Akihiro (22) and proven reliever Ryusei Oe (26), and acquired Richard Sunagawa (25) from SoftBank.

Richard’s batting average is low, but he has shown the ability to hit long balls at the right moment, and although it cannot be called a success yet, it can be evaluated as a good trade,” said a baseball team official.

However, …….

The Giants are not satisfied with Richard alone and are planning to make a second trade. Some fans want to strengthen the starting lineup, but ace Shoyuki Togo (25) is getting back on track and Yuji Akaboshi (25) has emerged, so the Giants are more interested in the fielders. Seibu and Orix are the leading candidates for a trade partner,” said a Central League team front office official.

These two teams are in urgent need of reinforcements for their relay pitchers, and are said to be interested in the Giants’ abundant relief corps.

The Orix’s pitching situation is in trouble, as their ace reliever Yuki Udagawa (26) is out for an extended period of time. The Giants want a fielder who can bat boldly instead of releasing a smoldering pitcher such as Nobutaka Imamura (31). Yuma Muneka (28), who has been on the bench thanks to the success of Taishi Hirooka (28), is the perfect candidate for the job. Seibu is another team with a remarkable rise of young players, but the middle relay is a point of reinforcement. The Giants are said to be targeting Kento Watabe (26), who is a cannonball candidate but has yet to make a significant impact.

The Giants are currently in the race for the top spot, but without Okamoto, there are still concerns about the strength of their fielding corps. Until the trade deadline in July, the Giants are eagerly awaiting their second chance.