Orix’s Taisuke Yamaoka “wants to get out right now” and is “eager to move on”… He is dissatisfied with the team’s handling of the “Onkaji problem”.

‘I want out now’

A series of online casino problems have cast a dark shadow over the world. In the world of professional baseball, 16 players from eight teams have been found to have used online casinos. In February of this year, it was Orix pitcher Taisuke Yamaoka (29) who was the first to be exposed to the “on-casino racket.

Yamaoka has now completed his “purification” and has already pitched in a game for the first team, but behind the scenes he is said to be growing distrustful of the team.

In February 2023, he was suspected of gambling on poker by connecting to an overseas online casino site. In February of this year, during spring training camp, the baseball team became aware of the situation, and after checking with the player himself, consulted the Osaka Prefectural Police. Yamaoka then returned to Osaka in secret, “surrendered,” and was questioned.

On February 21, the team held an emergency press conference at the team’s dormitory and Yamaoka was ordered to refrain from activities.

The on-again, off-again problem has spread not only to professional baseball, but also to the entertainment industry, where it has become a social problem, with arrests eventually taking place.

When it first broke out, it was up to the baseball teams to disclose the names of the people involved. ORIX, whose parent company is a publicly traded company that is strict about compliance, immediately decided to disclose the names from the standpoint of compliance. On the other hand, there are many players from other teams who have used the “on-again, off-again” system but whose names have not been disclosed.

Yamaoka himself is upset about this, saying, “It’s too unfair. Although the team’s decision to disclose the names of the players without keeping an eye on the situation has been praised as a corporate response, Yamaoka himself is not convinced, saying, “They didn’t protect me. His distrust of the team is considerable, and he has reportedly told those around him that he would leave the team immediately if he could.

(The same source) Furthermore, the following story is also circulating.

Yamaoka is apparently isolated within the team. It seems that Yamaoka has had some ‘trouble’ with other players and team officials, and he doesn’t have many allies.

He obtained his domestic FA rights on May 15 this year. The Orix, whose pitching staff is not yet solid, intends to let him stay by signing him to a multi-year contract, but Yamaoka is keeping a close eye on other teams behind the scenes. If he declares FA in the off-season and is offered favorable terms, there is a strong possibility that he will choose to move to another team.

The “Onkaji fiasco” is likely to have an impact on this season’s FA lineup.