Four Former Carp Players Become Free Agents: Will Any Team Take a Chance on Kaito Kozono?

For Hiroshima Carp fans, October has been a turbulent month.

On October 1, the club announced that it would not renew the contracts of four players: infielder Kaito Kozono, infielder Masaya Yano, infielder Seita Maekawa and outfielder Shunsuke Tamura. All four are young position players with potential, but they will leave the Carp amid the controversy surrounding so-called “zombie cigarettes.”

A sports newspaper editor offered the following perspective:

“The decision to release all four players may seem harsh. On the other hand, it also means the Carp have decided to start over, even at the cost of letting go of four promising players. With manager Takahiro Arai staying on, this could be a sign that the club is committed to rebuilding and is prepared to make difficult decisions.”

That raises the next major question: Will any other teams sign the four players?

Kozono, in particular, stands out. He won the Central League batting title last season and represented Japan at the World Baseball Classic in March. A powerful hitter with a strong throwing arm, he is an accomplished shortstop whose talent could be difficult for other clubs to ignore.

The newspaper editor continued:

“The parent company's wishes will likely play a major role in any decision. But from the perspective of the coaching staff, if a team has a chance to add a player like Kozono, there will naturally be a desire to pursue him. It is extremely rare for an infielder of his caliber to become available on the Japanese market.”

The editor acknowledged that any team signing Kozono could face public criticism, but added that a club could frame the move as an opportunity to give him another chance and help him rebuild his career.

“Behind the scenes, I would expect teams to be gathering information and assessing the situation.”

The Yomiuri Giants, who finished second in the Central League this season, have a precedent for taking a chance on a player amid controversy. In 2021, they acquired slugger Shō Nakata from Nippon-Ham in a trade that involved no player compensation after he had been involved in an assault incident with a teammate. Nakata subsequently continued his career with the Giants.

“For a team like the Giants, which is always looking for power hitters, the Nakata signing provides a precedent,” the editor said.

“However, if a team does decide to pursue Kozono, it can expect people to question whether that is appropriate. Any club interested in Kozono or the other three players will need to carefully weigh the risks against the potential rewards.”

The question of whether any team will make an offer — and which club might be willing to do so — is likely to remain a major talking point among fans in the coming weeks.