“Why Not Tokoda?”… The Hanshin Tigers Take the Lead in Signing Kazuya Kojima! The Key Figure Is “Senior Teammate Kotaro Otake”

Hanshin’s Strategy

The Hanshin Tigers, who just became the first team in franchise history to win back-to-back league titles, are now making a full-scale push to acquire Lotte pitcher Kazuya Kojima (30), who has decided to exercise his domestic free agency rights. Why Kojima, specifically, rather than other free-agent pitchers?

“Although he finished this season with a 6-9 record, he had reached the required number of innings pitched for five consecutive years up until last season and was a reliable fixture in the starting rotation. Hanshin boasts a strong pitching staff, but among their left-handers—such as Haruto Takahashi (31) and Shoji Ito (30)—there are quite a few who are prone to injury.Aware that this could become a weakness in the future, the team wants to bolster the rotation as soon as possible through free agency. That said, Kojima is over 30, so his age is a concern…” (Former team official)

Initially, the team was monitoring the situation of Hiroshima’s pitcher Hiroki Tokoda (31) as the leading candidate.

“However, it became clear that several teams, including the Giants, were ‘seriously’ aiming to acquire Tokoda. This season, under new manager Hideki Matsui (52), rookie Kazuyuki Takemaru (24) recorded 11 wins, andand Atsuhiro Inoue (25) recorded 10 wins; however, Iori Yamazaki (28), who had posted double-digit wins for three consecutive years through last season, finished with just one win due to injury, and ace Shozo Togo (26) also struggled, managing only five wins.

Tokoda, who can be reliably sent to the starting mound, is an attractive prospect. A significant raise from his current annual salary of 185 million yen is certain this season, and if he declares free agency, multiple teams will vie for his services, making a bidding war inevitable.“While the Hanshin Tigers have the financial strength to win the bidding war, they reportedly weighed the risk of missing out on him and shifted their focus to Kojima” (ibid.).

It is said that, behind the scenes, a certain player at the Hanshin Tigers had been cooperating in monitoring Kojima’s movements from early on.

“It’s Kotaro Otake (31), who was a year senior to Kojima at Waseda University. The two have been close friends since their college days, and after turning pro, they participated in voluntary training sessions led by Tsuyoshi Wada (45), a SoftBank veteran and Waseda senior, where they pushed each other to improve.After Mr. Wada’s retirement, the two formed ‘Team OK’ and have maintained a collaborative relationship, working together to design their own training programs.

Kojima is able to get detailed updates from Ohtake on the Hanshin Tigers’ team situation and practice environment. Given that the two have this direct line of communication, this free agency move puts them in a position to gain a significant lead over other teams. I’ve also heard that many executives at the parent company are Waseda University alumni, and they are backing the move to sign him ” (Hanshin Tigers team official)

For Kojima, whose estimated annual salary this season is 145 million yen, the Hanshin Tigers are preparing a substantial pay raise and a multi-year contract. Will they win the information war and successfully acquire this new piece of the puzzle? Players declaring free agency will be announced by NPB on November 10, and negotiations with individual teams will begin on November 11.