After Ruling Out Tanishige, DeNA Considers Furuta, Ramirez, and Inaba for Manager Role

Mr. Kuriyama is also on the list

Professional baseball’s second half started following the All-Star Game. DeNA, which last season pulled off a stunning upset to win the Japan Series, is currently dealing with many injured and underperforming players. After 90 games, their record stands at 41 wins, 44 losses, and 5 draws, placing them third in the Central League.

While the Hanshin Tigers have pulled far ahead, creating a wide gap between themselves and the rest of the teams, the game differences among teams below second place — except for last-place Yakult — remain small, so changes in rankings are still very possible.

However, according to a certain DeNA team veteran, “Unless there’s a massive comeback championship, the boss (manager) stepping down at the end of this season is all but decided.”

Apparently, behind the scenes, the company’s headquarters is already scrambling to find the next managerial candidate.

“Manager Daisuke Miura (51) has brought the team up to a decent level but can’t quite clinch the wins at the end, which is fatal. This pattern continued this season, with the team’s performance swinging wildly between good and bad. Because of this, it’s tough for Tomoko Nanba, the team owner (63), to realize her strong desire for a league championship.”

Even during the season, the front office is quietly moving.

“They’re looking for talent following the owner’s wishes. Motonobu Tanishige (54), who appeared in the first pitch ceremony of the second All-Star Game, was quite positive about returning as an NPB team manager. However, due to family-related troubles that could affect the parent company’s stock price, he was removed from the list. Unless they really struggle to find a manager, his chance is slim, and his priority is low.

Instead, they have listed candidates such as Atsuya Furuta (59), Hideki Kuriyama, CBO of Nippon Ham (64), Atsunori Inaba, Nippon Ham’s second team manager (52), and Alex Ramirez (50). All of them have experience managing NPB teams or Samurai Japan. Some of them have already been contacted in secret. The policy is to persuade the big names first and if that fails, consider others.”

Owner Nanba has several key criteria for the next manager:

“1) Someone who can lead a long-term regime. 2) Someone who can build a consistently winning team focused on player development rather than relying on reinforcements. And 3), which is the most important, someone who aligns with the team front office’s vision. Since around last year, DeNA has placed analysts and coordinators within the team, prioritizing data over traditional coaching methods when planning training.

They do not want someone who imposes personal coaching styles like before. The ideal candidate would be a manager who can interpret data and work together with the club to decide on coaching policies.”

Owner Nanba has been actively consulting with various baseball insiders about strengthening the team. The question remains whether a suitable candidate will emerge who meets her expectations.