Giants Face Financial Headache as Takuya Kai’s Injury Clouds Next Season

Kishida grew during his injury perio

Catcher Takuya Kai (32), who joined the Giants from SoftBank with great fanfare on a massive five-year contract estimated at 1.5 billion yen, saw his first season with the team end alongside injuries.

“On August 23, Kai started in the game against DeNA, but during the match, he collided near home plate with DeNA outfielder Tatsuo Ebina (27), who slid headfirst from the right, resulting in an injury. On the following day, he underwent an examination at a hospital in Tokyo and was diagnosed with a fracture of the head of the right middle finger metacarpal,” reported a sports newspaper desk.

Shinnosuke Abe (46), the team’s manager, expressed a grim look, saying, “It’s painful for the team, but we have to play with the resources we have.” However, behind the scenes, the front office viewed it as a blessing in disguise.

“Kai was a player Abe desperately wanted to acquire. Within the front office, some opposed the move, arguing, ‘We have a solid roster of young catchers, so there’s no need to spend a fortune on Kai, who is past his prime.’ But Abe pushed back against those opinions.

Given these circumstances, even if Kai underperformed, the team had to use him while he was physically able. Early in the season, he contributed with his bat, but by the end, he finished with an average performance: 68 games played, a .260 batting average, 4 home runs, and 20 RBIs. Meanwhile, his rival Yukinori Kishida (29) exceeded Kai not only in batting but also in caught-stealing rate,” explained a former team official.

With Kishida establishing himself as the Giants’ regular catcher, the team finished third in the league but lost consecutively to DeNA in the Climax Series, exiting in the first stage. Already, Abe and the team’s top management were looking ahead to next season.

“Kishida’s growth in the latter half of the season was remarkable, so if things continue this way, he will likely wear the starting mask next season. Although he was occasionally criticized for his handling and blocking, these are skills that improve with game experience. Compared to Kai, whose throwing has declined, Kishida’s throws are stable, and his batting—which had reached cleanup level—still has room to grow. This is great news for the Giants, who have long struggled to secure a reliable regular catcher. Ironically, Kai’s injury, after the team spent a fortune to acquire him, has allowed a homegrown catcher to develop,” said a team insider.

If Kishida becomes the starting catcher next season, Kai’s role will likely be as the backup and a mentor to younger players. However, this could lead to overlap in roles.

“There’s also Seiji Kobayashi (36), an experienced veteran excelling in defense and respected by younger players. From Abe’s perspective, ‘We don’t need two veterans with the same role.’ Kai is expected to make an impact in both offense and defense. Even the front office members who opposed his acquisition now claim, in hindsight, ‘We should have spent the 1.5 billion yen to strengthen hitters who could produce more.’ Hopefully, Kai doesn’t become a financial burden,” the insider added.

Despite mixed evaluations, Kai is still not at an age to decline significantly, and his experience, which helped lead SoftBank to multiple championships, is a plus for the Giants. Next season, fans will hope he overturns the current perception with strong performances.

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