Leagues Consider Reforms as Draft Timing and Structure Face Backlash
Sato posing at the team entry press conferenceIdeal timing: June–July
On December 9, the professional baseball “Active Draft” was held. This system, started in 2022 to revitalize the transfer of players who have limited playing opportunities, reached its fourth edition this year.
So far, there have been some successes, such as Seiya Hosokawa (27) transferring from DeNA to Chunichi and Kōtarō Ōtake (30) moving from SoftBank to Hanshin, both of whom have blossomed, but some teams are also pointing out the limitations of the system. Why is that?
“Every year there are hidden gems, so it’s exciting. We list our own candidates during the season by watching second-team games and such. Candidate lists from other teams arrive a few days before the draft. If you hit, it’s a bonus; if not, oh well. There’s a strong gambling element to it,” said a front office member of a Central League team.
On the other hand, a front office member of a Pacific League team described recent active drafts as more like a hassle disposal.
“Looking at this year’s list of transferred players, there’s Naoto Chino (26) moving from DeNA to Chunichi, Kodai Inoue (24) from Hanshin to Lotte, and Naoki Sato (27) from SoftBank to Rakuten. I see all of them as players with baggage.
Chino caused a major scandal in February this year when a video of him making inappropriate remarks about a female fan during a high-five session at the training camp went viral on SNS. The team issued a strict warning.
Sato, in October, was involved in a publicized dispute with his fiancée, which led to him being left out of the postseason.
Inoue reportedly leaked information to reporters about his own promotion to the first team, going against the strict information management policy of manager Kenta Fujikawa (45). Because of that, even though he was a promising player, he was left idle in the second team.”
A Central League team roster manager suggested changing the timing of the Active Draft.
“Currently, holding it in December means players who would normally be released as surplus must be kept as reserve candidates for the draft. Release notices must be completed by November.
In reality, only one or two players can transfer to other teams, so the ‘reserve candidates’ who don’t transfer end up sidelined the next season, with no chance to play, and eventually are released. This costs the team extra personnel expenses and does no favors for the players either.
If the draft were held in mid-June to July after the interleague games, the drafted players could start performing quickly with their new teams, and clubs would have more time for team planning for the next season.”
It may now be necessary to consider revising the system so that the Active Draft doesn’t just become an exchange meeting for surplus players.
PHOTO： Kyodo News