Lions announce 2025 staff

 

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions announced their organizational restructuring prior to the 2024 NPB Draft as these changes will take effect on January 1, 2025. 

From front office to coaching staff, we will show all the changes and listings from as shown on the website. 

===

Front office:

Mitsuo Iida keeps his role as "Managing Director" while having responsibilities of being the head of team headquarters and organization manager removed.  He's remembered as the executive who drew the winning ticket for Chihiro Sumida during the 2021 NPB Draft.

Koji Hiroike will have the title of Team General Manager. Previously he was the deputy chief and programming manager.  While he may not have the final say on all baseball operation decisions, he will be the one to answer all the questions and take the hits.

Kosaku Akimoto will be the right hand man as the "Deputy General Manager".  He was the director of scouting previously. 

Coaching staff changes:

Outside additions:

Yusuke Torigoe (Usuki) will be the head coach. He last worked for the Chiba Lotte Marines from 2018-2022 where he was a head coach and even farm manager. He has done baseball commentator in media since 2023. 

Toshihisa Nishi will be the chief fielding and batting coach. His last baseball job was being the farm manager of the Yokohama DeNA Baystars from 2021-2023. 

Keiji Obiki will be the infield defense and base running coach. He has never been a coach in NPB, but served as an ambassador for the Fighters when partnered with the Texas Rangers in 2020 for sharing information. He also studied in graduate school for coaching studies. He's mostly remembered as a journeyman player who played for 13 years as an infielder for the Orix Buffaloes, Fighters and Yakult Swallows. 

Ryutaro Tsuji will be the ni-gun fielding coach. He had been a coach within the Orix Buffaloes since 2015 at both the Ichi-gun and ni-gun tiers in various roles. His last role was being a hitting coach. 

Fumiya Nishiguchi is now the manager after Kazuo Matsui was let go in the middle of last season. He was previously the ni-gun manager.

This was a full new era for Lions baseball as during the 2024 draft, the Lions representatives were Nishiguchi, Hiroike, Akimoto, Team President Tsuyoshi Okumura, Chief Scout Toshio Maeda and Scout Director Tetsuya Shiozaki. Hisanobu "Nabe-Q" Watanabe resigned from his position.  

Full coaching staff list:

Ichi-gun:

Manager: #74 Fumiya Nishiguchi 

Head coach: #91 Yusuke Torigoe

Chief pitching coach: #81 Kiyoshi Toyota

Pitching coach: #95 Tatsuya Oishi

Battery coach: #96 Shota Nakata

Chief Fielding and Batting coach: #78 Toshihisa Nishi

Batting coach: #83 Yoshiie Tachibana

Infield defense and Baserunning coach: #84 Keiji Obiki

Outfield defense and base running coach: #84 Masato Kumashiro

Ni-gun staff:

Manager: #79 Tatsuya Ozeki

Chief Pitching coach: #72 Yoshihiro Doi

Pitching coach: #98 Tomio Watanabe

Pitching coach: #93 Hayato Aoki

Pitching coach: #85 Daiki Enokida

Battery coach: #82 Kosuke Noda 

Fielding coach: #87 Satoshi Kuroda

Fielding coach: #77 Ryutaro Tsuji

Fielding coach: #86 Shogo Akada

Fielding coach: #88 Hiroyuki Oshima

Ikusei staff

General coach: #97 Tomoshi Aoki

Fielding coach: #76 Norio Tanabe

Fielding coach: #94 Yuji Onizaki

Fielding coach: #89 Fumikazu Kimura

===

Several names have gone up and down from ni-gun and ichi-gun, most notably Oishi at the latter tier. If anything, there is some new blood beyond the normal promotions from within. 

===

Players let go

The early senryokugai (戦力外) list of players being cut and not offered a contract for 2025 was put out prior to the final game of the 2024 season. 

By default, every player on Ikusei has to be listed if they've been in the league for three years or more.  They are free to re-sign year by year to another Ikusei contract at the team's discretion. 

However, the first wave of cuts with player statements indicates this group isn't returning.

LHP Shota Hayama

RHP Ren Omagari

IF Naomasa Yohkawa

IF Brandon Taiga Tysinger

OF Wataru Takagi

OF Shohei Suzuki

C Kaito Noda

RHP Taisei Miyazawa

RHP Kaito Awatsu*

RHP Sho Ito*

RHP Yuto Akagami*

OF Joseph Ken Miyamoto*

There should be more senryokugai given the draft concluded. We wish these players the best of luck moving forward. 

===

Follow us on X @GraveyardBall

2024 NPB Draft: A summary of every Lions pick

 

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions draft of 2024 concluded on Thursday, October 24. A total of 14 names were selected in both the regular and ikusei drafts combined. Here is our summary of every player:

===

Round 1: IF Hiroto Saito 齋藤 大翔

High School: Kanazawa (Ishikawa)

Date of Birth: January 27, 2007

Height: 181cm (5' 11")

Weight: 76 kg (168 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

The Lions tried to go for it and failed twice with their first round nomination, falling back on Saito as their third choice. 

A starting shortstop since his first year of high school, he worked his way up to batting third in the lineup by the time he graduated. 

He will need to hit the gym and be in pro level shape, but the Lions see an athlete who can field tremendously with an impressive range.  His bat can be above average as it develops. 

In the long term, he should be the starting shortstop when Sosuke Genda's time is done. The Lions emphasized the shortstop position with all three nominations, but it appears the talent level between their second and third choices isn't far off. Only difference is Saito is a little slower than Yusei Ishizuka and isn't as versatile on the infield, but has room to grow.  He also has a fallback option as a pitcher if they Lions want to go this path. 

Team quote: "He is a player who is good at running, hitting and defense, but in particular his defense [stands out]. He has the potential to be a regular infielder in the future."

===

Round 2: OF Seiya Watanabe 渡部 聖弥

College: Osaka Shogyo (Osaka)

High School: Koryo (Hiroshima)

Date of Birth: August 31, 2002

Height: 177 cm (5' 10")

Weight: 88 kg (194 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Watanabe was an accomplished hitter being a batting champion for one season while finishing in the Top 10 for several of them. He earned his way to being the third batter in the lineup and starting center field for majority of his time at University. He could've even been selected out of high school based on his accomplishments at Koryo. 

Watanabe is athletic in running 50 meters in 6.0 seconds and a first base run in 4.3 seconds. He has a strong arm to play in centerfield and was on the national collegiate team tournament vs USA in the summer of 2023. 

He can hit for power besides average, many thought he could be a first round pick, but fell out of the round with a huge difference of opinion after the top two players went off the books. 

It's possible he competes for a starting outfield position right away given the Lions situation. He could be in centerfield as he and Takuya Hiruma were viewed as top picks. 

Team Quote: "He is a powerful and dynamic player. He has a strong will and we hope he will become a key player in the future."

===

Round 3: RHP Shoma Karyu 狩生 聖真

High School: Saiki Kakujo (Oita)

Date of Birth: December 25, 2006

Height: 186 cm (6' 1")

Weight: 74 kg (163 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Karyu can throw as fast as 150 km/h with a fastball, slider, curve and changeup. When qualifying for Koshien, he had experience as both a reliever and starting pitcher when there would be split starts. 

By being on the Lions, he is reunited with teammate OF Yudai Furukawa, who was taken in the 2022 draft.  The Lions like his potential in velocity and it's possible he has the control to be a rotation candidate in the long term. 

Team quote: "He has an attractive fastball and is a pitcher who could be a part of the starting rotation in the future."

===

Round 4: OF Kuan-Chen Lin 林 冠臣

College: Nihon Keizai (Fukuoka)

High School: Nichinan Gakuen (Miyazaki) 

Date of Birth: December 30, 2002

Height: 195 cm (6' 5")

Weight: 105 kg (231 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Lin was a Best IX outfielder for his junior and senior seasons in college. An international student from Taiwan, he's been in Japan since his 2018 at Nichinan Gakuen high school. 

Splitting time at both DH and outfield, he was batting No. 3 in the lineup for Nihon Keizai while able to hit for average and power. A tall and athletic player, he can bench press 145 kg and his stock increased even more in his senior season. 

If he impresses coaches early, there's a chance he could be a starting outfielder for the Lions in 2025. 

Team Quote: "His power and speed make him a great player and we can expect him to compete for a regular outfield spot soon."

===

Round 5: RHP Hibiki Shinohara 篠原 響

High School: Fukui Kogyo (Fukui)

Date of Birth: September 20, 2006

Height: 178 cm (5' 10")

Weight: 76 kg (168 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Shinohara carried his school as the Ace in the prefectural tournaments of Hokuriku to get noticed. He has a velocity of 148 km/H where he can also throw a slider and fork ball. 

A decent strikeout rate received enough notice by the Lions to get drafted. Maybe he could be a rotation pitcher in a few years. 

Team quote: "He's a well-balanced pitcher with a fastball and variety of breaking ball pitches. We hope he can be part of the starting rotation in the future."

===

Round 6: C Haruki Tatsuyama 龍山 暖

High School: Enagic Sports (Okinawa)

Date of Birth: May 13, 2006

Height: 175 cm (5' 9")

Weight: 78 kg (172 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Tatsuyama was part of the first class to open at a new high school in Okinawa. A starting cleanup hitter, he was the star to help carry Engiac to their first prefectural tournament win in school history.  

Some scouts believe he has the strongest arm for a high school catcher at 110m for the long throw and a pop speed to second base of 1.8 seconds. He also has potential to hit for power with the right development in time.

Team quote: "He has a well-balanced build, strong arm and impressive hitting. He'll be a valuable catcher for the team."

===

Round 7: IF Teruki Koga 古賀 輝希

Hardball Team: Chikumagawa Koshiki Baseball Club (Nagano)

College: Nihon Keizai (Fukuoka)

High School: Saga Kenritsu Shogyo (Saga) 

Date of Birth: August 25, 2000

Height: 181 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 88 kg (194 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Coming from an independent Hardball team, Koga was a cleanup hitter for Chikumagawa and starting third baseman. His selling point is his potential in power hitting. 

Trivially, he has already seen the Lions farm team in an organized game as an opponent. It's possible he got attention from the Lions in these outings. 

Given how the Lions offense was in 2024, there's an outside chance he could earn a starting position. 

Team Quote: "He is a power hitter with excellent contact hitting."

===

Ikusei round

Round 1: LHP Yamato Fuji 冨士 大和

High School: Omiya Higashi (Saitama) 

Date of Birth: August 26, 2006

Height: 186 cm (6' 1")

Weight: 80 kg (176 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

Fuji received attention for taking his school to the semi-finals of the Saitama prefectural tournament in his second season. He's a side arm pitcher with a high strikeout rate and got on the radar from a 17 strikeout game which resulted in a two-hit shutout during the prefectural tournament.  

His maximum velocity is 144km/h where he can throw a changeup and slider. 

Team Quote: "Although he is slim he is a local high school student with room to grow. He will need to get used to professional baseball."

===

Round 2: IF Taiyo Sato 佐藤 太陽

College: Kanagawa (Kanagawa)

High School: Hamamatsu Shogyo (Shizuoka) 

Date of Birth: May 19, 2002

Height: 176 cm (5' 9")

Weight: 78 kg (172 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Sato can play second, shortstop and third base on the infield where he was the No. 3 hitter in college. A light hitter, he can run to first base in as fast as 3.7 seconds. He has the ability to hit opposite field. 

His versatility could earn a promotion in the future. 

Team Quote: "He is a well balanced utility infielder who is also good at running, defense and offense. He also has leadership skills."

===

Round 3: OF Ramal Ghibin Ratnayake ラタナヤケ・ラマル・ギービン

High School: Osaka Toin (Osaka)

Date of Birth: April 8, 2006

Height: 180 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 91 kg (201 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Ratnayake has parents from Sri Lanka, but he was born in Nagoya. He earned a cleanup hitting position at Osaka Toin by his second year and he primarily plays 3B. 

His stock primarily fell for not having hitting results, but scouts still liked his form for his swing. He lost his starting job by his senior season and only came on as a pinch hitter.  

There's potential in raw power, but to executive against pitching is an obstacle for Ratnayake. He can run 50 meters in 6.2 seconds and throw 100 meters. 

Team Quote: "He can hit a ball farther than most high school students and can be a home run hitter in the future."

===

Round 4: LHP So Sato 佐藤 爽

College: Seisa Dohto (Hokkaido)

High School: Sapporo Yamanote (Hokkaido) 

Date of Birth: February 9, 2003

Height: 177 cm (5' 10")

Weight: 79 kg (174 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Left/Left

A 3/4 arm slot, Sato earned his starting position by his junior year with Top IX honors. His maximum velocity is 148 km/h where he can also throw a curve, changeup, slider.  

He was a productive player, but needs to see better competition to earn a promotion. 

Team Quote: "He has an excellent sense and heart for pitching."

===

Round 5: OF Haruto Sawada 澤田 遥斗

High School: Kyoto Kokusai (Kyoto) 

Date of Birth: July 30, 2006

Height: 170 cm (5' 7")

Weight: 68 kg (150 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Switch

Sawada can play centerfield where he was batting second and third for his high school. He had a decent batting form in 2023.  His 50 meter dash clocked in at 6.0 seconds. 

To earn a promotion, he will need to bulk up and hit the gym. 

Team Quote: "He has a decent physically ability to run with his range. As a switch hitter, we're looking forward to seeing him play with grit."

===

Round 6: IF Haruma Fukuo 福尾 遥真

High School: Ishikawa (Ishikawa) 

Date of Birth: April 6, 2006

Height: 181 cm (5' 11")

Weight: 77 kg (170 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Left

Fukuo got on the radar for his appearance in Spring Koshien. He had a three-hit game as the starting shortstop. 

Fittingly for the Lions, he looked up to Sosuke Genda as his inspiration and modeled his game after him. Now they will be teammates. 

Team Quote: "He has excellent running, hitting and defensive abilities. We hope he can represent Japan in the future."

===

Round 7: OF Okemumei Umebinyuo ウメビンユオ オケム明

High School: Asahikawa Shiho (Hokkaido) 

Date of Birth: April 10, 2006

Height: 184 cm (6' 0")

Weight: 77 kg (170 lbs)

Throws/Bats: Right/Right

Umebinyuo was born to a Nigerian father and Japanese mother. He didn't earn starting experience until his senior season in high school where his school made the north Hokkaido semi finals. 

He can run 50 meters in 6.0 seconds and has the physical tools to be a great, including a strong arm. 

Umebinyuo idolized and modeled his game after SoftBank Hawks star Yuki Yanagita. With experience and time, he can earn a promotion.

Team Quote: "He is a very physically gifted player, especially with his shoulders and legs. We hope he will work hard to make the most of his strengths."

===

Reaction 

The Lions took some athletic players in the Ikusei round, but it was good to see them go for a quantity of players rather than just sit back or get cheap about it.  In recent years, the Lions have tried to use Ikusei more and more with seven players taken, the odds can increase at finding an ichi-gun worthy player.

They've been going for the consensus best talent available in recent years from Chihiro Sumida to Takahisa Hayakawa and this time was no different for Muneyama. Despite failing, Watanabe could be a decent consolation given he fell out of the first round. Can only hope some of these players can make an immediate impact sooner than later. 

===

Follow us on X @GraveyardBall

Lions take Saito after failed first round draft attempt

 

===

The Saitama Seibu Lions had thin luck over the 2024 NPB Draft. Only the Hiroshima Carp announced their pick before the gathering with everyone else being secretive.

As the first team called for having the worst record, the Lions made a minor surprise with IF Rui Muneyama (Meiji) as their nomination.

It fits their track record sticking with what they believe is highest talent available as Muneyama was one of two top names.

New manager Fumiya Nishiguchi had a one in five chance of pulling a winning ticket, but came up short as the Rakuten Eagles won the rights to Muneyama. 

Eight teams were forced to go to a Plan B and the Lions tried to go for IF Yusei Ishizuka (Hanasaki Tokuharu), thought to be the best high school player, but they also lost when the Yomiuri Giants contested the pick and Nishiguchi drew the wrong ticket again.

The Lions settled for IF Hiroto Saito from Kanazawa High school. He is viewed as an athletic fielder who is capable of being a two-way player. 

Primarily a shortstop, he has a strong arm and at least field his ground position. His 50 meter time clocks in at 6.0 seconds. At 180 centimeters and 76 kilograms, he's a tall player who can be plugged in long term. 

His maximum velocity is 140 km/h. 

It's unclear if his bat will translate to NPB, but the Lions see a starting SS and heir to Sosuke Genda. 

This is the first high school first round pick by the Lions since Tatsuya Imai in 2016. They've had their share of whiffed attempts (Roki Sasaki), but no result from this age group out of the first round until now. 

Here is the full list of Lions 2024 draft picks:

NPB Draft

1. IF Hiroto Saito, Kanazawa High School (Ishikawa)

2. OF/3B Seiya Watanabe, Osaka Shogyo University (Osaka)

3. RHP Shoma Karyu, Saiki Kakujo High School (Oita)

4. OF Kuan-Chen Lin, Nihon Keizai University (Fukuoka) 

5. RHP Hibiki Shinohara, Fukui Kogyo High School (Fukui)

6. C Haruki Tatsuyama, Enagic Sports High School (Okinawa)

7. IF Teruki Koga, Chikumagawa Koshiki Baseball Club (Nagano)

Ikusei picks

1. LHP Yamato Fuji, Omiya Higashi High School (Saitama)

2. IF Taiyo Sato, Kanagawa University (Kanagawa)

3. OF Ramal Ghibin Ratnayake, Osaka Toin High School (Osaka)

4. LHP So Sato, Seisa Dohto University (Hokkaido)

5. OF Haruto Sawada, Kyoto Kokusai High School (Kyoto)

6. IF Haruma Fukuo, Ishikawa High School (Ishikawa)

7. OF Okemumei Umebinyuo, Asahikawa Shiho High School (Hokkaido)

We will do further research on each pick a more lengthy post on the future.

===

Follow us on X @GraveyardBall

2024 NPB Draft Preview: Where do the Lions go from here?

 The Saitama Seibu Lions enter the draft as the worst NPB team and have a priority, but this is not a league that favors tanking.

With this in mind for the first round, the Lions would be the first to announce their nomination and if there's a contested pick, the team representative has to draw from the box first whether it's two teams or six teams wanting the same player.

Here we will go by each position and see how each position could be filled. 

===

Pitcher:

The Lions are stacked for now at starting pitcher, but there could always be needs for the long term and bullpen depth. 

Tatsushi Masuda retired while others had issues filling in the relief roles. The 8th and 9th inning were fine, but it's uncertain if Albert Abreu stays in Japan again.

Kona Takahashi reaches domestic free agency after 2025, but if he wants to be in MLB, he needs to earn a posting or wait through 2027 for international free agency. 

Kaima Taira and Tatsuya Imai could be seeking something else when they got free agency or even want MLB someday.  Both have at least three years until they reach domestic free agency.  

Yumeto Kanemaru (Kansai University) is the consensus top pitcher in this class while also thought of as the top player. 

Some high school names include Yuki Kesamaru (Hotoku Gakuen) and Daiki Shimizu (Maebashi Shogyo).

Yuto Nakamura (Aichi Kogyo) and Kentaro Shinogi (Hosei) are thought to be some of the better first round alternative pick options after Kanemaru. The latter could be a good short term option while Kesamaru fits a long term plan.

Shakaijin Seiya Yoshida (Seino) could also be an immediate impact among left-handed pitchers. 

Other names for this draft include Hibiki Takao (Koryo HS), Haruma Ikeda (Monbetsu HS), Yusei Yamaguchi (Hokkaido Kitami Hakuyo) and Ryo Negishi (BC League). 

===

Infielder 

Sosuke Genda and Shuta Tonosaki have the middle of the infield locked down, but they're not young anymore. The corner positions need help, as there are several busts unable to fill the holes. For 1B, they'll likely look for an import player in 2025. 

Rui Muneyama (Meiji) is considered the best position player available in this class. Very accomplished hitter, but may be more of a shortstop.

Some think Seiya Watanabe (Osaka Shogyo University) could also be plugged in at 3B who can also play OF. In the long-term, Yusei Ishizuka (Hanasaki Tokuharu HS) is a candidate and will be a first round pick.  

Other names with potential later in the draft include Yu Aramaki (Jobu University) and Ryushin Tomihama (Teikyo HS). 

===

Catcher

Masatoshi Okada retired and a spot becomes available. However, it's not an urgent kind of need with Yuto Koga expected to be the starting catcher for years to come. 

The aforementioned Tomihama can play catcher while Haruo Hakoyama (Kendai Takasaki HS) is also a candidate.  It seems reasonable to take an ikusei flyer if someone is available. 

===

Outfield

Here we have the biggest elephant in the room. The Lions outfield has been a poor unit ever since Shogo Akiyama signed with the Cincinnati Reds. 

The team is still holding out hope that Takuya Hiruma can become a regular, but he still hasn't proven much in two years. 

Misho Nishikawa (Aoyama Gakuin University) is thought to be the best player to fill this need. He's an athletic fielder with a flawed bat who came into the scene in his junior season of college.  

The aforementioned Seiya Watanabe can also play outfield. An intriguing fallback name is Moisev Nikita (Aichi Kogyo HS) who is a long term project.

===

Outlook:

The Lions have been eyeing both Muneyama and Nishikawa the longest of all the top draft names available. They've been leaning with Nishikawa in recent months with OF being the larger need, but it's also likely playing the odds as Muneyama will draw several teams.

If they're feeling lucky, they'll go Muneyama, but all signs point to Nishikawa as the nomination. 

Since we've been writing about the Lions, they've only hidden their nomination before the draft twice with the hopes of getting the player unopposed. Tatsuya Imai and Wataru Matsumoto didn't have an announcement in 2016 and 2018, respectively with Imai as the only partial shocker to us as fans. 

Previously, they announced Shinsaburo Tawata, Daiki Tajima, Takahisa Hayakawa, Roki Sasaki, Chihiro Sumida, Takuya Hiruma and Natsuki Takeuchi in public before the draft occurred. 

Historically, this means if they feel an obvious player is getting contested, they'll say it upfront. Nishikawa could have as many as three teams go for his rights, but it's more likely one other team will take a chance. 

There is also an outside shot that no other team aims for Nishikawa. 

Seiya Watanabe is thought to be the main fallback option, but it's possible someone goes for him in the first nomination round. 

===

Follow us on X @GraveyardBall

Lions 2024 retirements a reminder of poor free agency

 

Three veteran Saitama Seibu Lions players announced their retirement this month.  Catcher Masatoshi Okada, Outfielder Yuji Kaneko and pitcher Tatsushi Masuda all finish their careers to end this season.

 Kaneko and Okada already had their retirement games while Masuda will have his on September 28.

In reality, this is reflective of how bad the Lions have utilized free agency.

The Lions reputation for having players walk elsewhere has been around since free agency existed in the 90s and the main core from the Golden Era was broken up.  Kimiyasu Kudo left for the Daiei Hawks after the 1994 season and it only continues from there to Hiromichi Ishige to a trading of Koji Akiyama. 

Since 1994, 21 starting players have left in free agency to both NPB teams and MLB teams (Hiroyuki Nakajima, Shogo Akiyama) and the culture has been about how Seibu Holdings, the parent company has cheapened out. There's maybe even sketchy treatment of players compared to other teams.

But here, the Lions have also failed when it comes to keeping players who reach seven years of service time to enter free agency. 

Tatsushi Masuda stayed with the Lions after the 2020 season and it felt historic they kept a player. He only has a closing season in 2022 and lost his high leverage roles in 3 of the last 4 years. Masuda's 2023 was nearly unwatchable. 

Yuji Kaneko was retained for his speed, yet his regression since 2020 is clear as day.  In the last five seasons, he's only appeared in at least 100 games once and never reached at least 20 stolen bases since 2019, the one strength he once had. 

Kaneko has been a part time player since 2022. 

Masatoshi Okada was kept around as a backup catcher, but his health prevented him from playing for majority of the last three seasons. To be fair, he was mostly a pinch bunter and not necessarily a waste of money with his cost being low. However, his peak seasons were before 2020. 

Even Ken Togame, who was retained didn't have a significant role once the Lions kept him from walking in free agency.  Today, he works as a scout for the Lions front office. 

Most recently, Shuta Tonosaki,  Sosuke Genda and Katsunori Hirai were retained after reaching free agency, yet their prime could be fading sooner than expected.

Hirai has barely appeared in the bullpen this season while Tonosaki isn't a threat in the lineup. Genda has been the only constant and stayed around for his defense, now the captain.  

For the Lions, they need to show they care about treating their good players well and not letting them walk so easily in free agency.  Hideto Asamura and Tomoya Mori left at the first moment they could, much like Yasuyuki Kataoka and Hotaka Yamakawa. 

Is there hope? Seibu Holdings needs to look in the mirror. While it's nice they renovated Belluna Dome and added a practice facility with much needed dorm upgrades in response to player feedback, the cheapness of free agents leaving just doesn't escape the perception.

In the past, the Lions were able to reload and still compete. However, this has finally caught up to them as the offense is historically bad with poor development/drafting. 

To their credit, they're not overplaying old time veterans Takumi Kuriyama and Takeya Nakamura.  The next generation has all but failed as shown by Kenton Watanabe being a bust. Takuya Hiruma could join him in this club at this pace. 

Yet still, the Lions have no offensive foundational players going forward. Only Ryusei Sato can make reasonable contact. 

Scouting has only been good from a pitching standpoint since 2020. 

===

Follow us on X @GraveyardBall

Lions to offer Nishiguchi as manager for 2025

 

The Saitama Seibu Lions have decided on their manager going forward, according to a report by Sponichi, Fumiya Nishiguchi will be offered to take over for the 2025 season. 

Nishiguchi, who will turn 52 later this week, was a long time Lions pitcher for two decades. Most recently, he's been on the Lions coaching staff since 2017.

In 2022, he began as the Lions farm manager and served in this position for the last three seasons. He held various pitching coach jobs from 2017-2021 at both the ni-gun and ichi-gun levels. 

In his playing days, he's remembered as a pitcher who came up just short of a no-hitter and perfect game in three different instances. In two of those times, he was one out away from a no-hitter. 

If he accepts, Nishiguchi will take over an uphill battle where the Lions are coming off a historically awful season with a poor offense and last place finish in the Pacific League. 

===

Follow us on X @GraveyardBall

2024 Lions need to start looking ahead, cut players

The Saitama Seibu Lions already made multiple changes prior to the roster deadlines for 2024. By July 31, any possible trades for a player to count in the postseason for another team needs to be made.

For the Lions, it's looking ahead and being a last place team currently 31 games under .500 and a 0-11 head-to-head record against the Chiba Lotte Marines.

With their win percentage at .304 through July 13, the Lions are on pace for their worst season since 1971, where they were Nishitetsu Lions with a 38-84-8 record at .311 win percentage. 

If this place continues at a .304 win pct, then the 2024 season becomes the worst season in franchise history. 

What's the elephant in the room? Mediocre bullpen with a putrid offense at rock bottom.  As a team, they're hitting very close to the Mendoza Line at .204. Zero pop, but also no getting on base. 

With a historic season for the worst on the line, the Lions need to look in the mirror with their roster and see who is the plans moving forward. 

This year, they already traded Gakuto Wakabayashi to the Yomiuri Giants for OF Seiya Matsubara. They also dumped Hiromasa Saito, a former first round draft pick on Ikusei, to the SoftBank Hawks for IF Daiju Nomura. 

The Lions have also promoted P Shinya Sugai (third round ikusei pick in 2021), OF Koichi Okumura (sixth round ikusei pick in 2023) and Shoya Makino (recovering from injury) to the 70-man roster where all three have made at least four ichi-gun appearances each. 

What happens now? More should be cut at the end of the year. We'll examine all foreigners and players who could be gone sooner than later based on playing time and performance. 

One premise to keep in mind, the Lions have cut players only to give them second, third and fourth chances under Ikusei contracts. Only a handful have returned with a move up.  

Two players must also be designated for the Active Player (Rule 5) Draft after the cuts, even if the Lions need to keep them for the next year. 

Aito Takeda was plucked by the Marines and it's likely Tetsu Miyagawa was also given this designation. He was later traded to the Yakult Swallows for IF Hiyu Motoyama. 

It really forced anyone to wait until January to know who is truly cut (戦力外) or not.

As a disclaimer, this is not a wish for players to lose their jobs, but it is the reality of the business for all teams to clear way for new draft picks. In fairness, we will not list any players currently on an ikusei contract. 

Here is our list of candidates who could be gone:

IF Hiyu Motoyama

The Lions acquired Motoyama from the Swallows when sending former first round pick Tetsu Miyagawa in a trade last offseason. With only 19 ichi-gun games, it's more than likely he's unwanted. 

IF Brandon Taiga Tysinger

Promoted back to the 70-man roster after a strong camp, Tysinger has failed to play an ichi-gun game after the opening three games in Sendai. In his last at-bat, he was overwhelmed in three pitches with runners in scoring position.  His time is dwindling and while he showed promise in 2021, that's all in the last as his approach at the plate has led to nowhere.

IF Kakeru Yamanobe

Yamanobe has been with the team since 2019, but failed to be a regular with his poor bat. Thought to be insurance when Hideto Asamura would leave in free agency, he could never win a starting job and was a replacement player at best. He's never had more than 60 ichi-gun appearances in a single season and now that he's 30, there's plenty of younger options available. 

IF Naomasa Yohkawa

Taken in the Active Player Draft from 2022, Yohkawa was thought to be a matchup specialist against left-handed pitchers. In two seasons, he has a combined 20 ichi-gun games.  He's also the second oldest Japanese infielder on the roster after Takeya Nakamura. No reason to keep him around.

IF Kento Watanabe

This is what a bust looks like.  Watanabe had one fun game in 2021, but can't make an impact at 1B when he was given opportunities. Only at seven ichi-gun games in 2024 being his fourth season with the Lions, it may be time to eat it and trade him. He doesn't have the power his body build would appear as.

OF Yuji Kaneko

The Lions kept him from free agency years ago, but it's been a poor investment ever since 2020, where his stolen base count took a major drop. Became less useful as a light hitter and already showed his age in the last few years failing to appear in 50 ichi-gun games for a single season since 2022. At this rate, he's blocking someone younger from opportunity to develop.

OF Takumi Kuriyama (retirement?)

The former Lions captain turns 41 in September. A part time DH, he'll likely step away when he desires to. Playing him now just hurts development for someone else.

OF Manaya Nishikawa

Nishikawa was a second round draft pick in 2017, but has failed to win a job when given the chance. At best he's a spell outfielder as his upside and ceiling is caving in at age 25. 

OF Shohei Suzuki

Once thought to be the heir to Shogo Akiyama when drafted, Suzuki never took that step to be an ichi-gun regular. Whether it's an injury or performance, his inconsistency kept him odd the roster. Was often given the Opening Day job, but never retained it. Now he's 26 years old with a ceiling crashing down. 

OF Wataru Takagi

Takagi was once a promoted ikusei pick back in 2019. He's had only a handful of ichi-gun appearances in each season since. However, he hasn't played an ichi-gun game in 2024, hinting he's buried on the depth chart. 

C Masatoshi Okada (retirement?)

Okada hasn't appeared in a game since 2022 due to a lengthy injury. It's unclear if he'll ever be healthy enough to play in a game again.

C Sena Tsuge

With the emergence of Yuto Koga, it's likely Tsuge lost his battle and has become expendable as a backup.  There isn't much incentive to keep him with younger options. 

P Shota Hamaya

Hamaya saw limited action in 2020, but couldn't build off his promising start. He appeared in one game for 2024 and it's likely there won't be many chances ahead.

P Tatsushi Masuda (free agent)

Masuda is in the final year of a four year contract and while it may have been important to keep him at the time, this investment has backfired. He only has a good season in 2022 but has remained forgettable otherwise. 

P Ren Omagari

A former rubber ball pitched, Omagari only saw mop up duties from 2021-2023. He has yet to make an ichi-gun appearance in 2024. Time may have run out.

===

Foreign players

We look at all import players no matter how they perform and see how things look. 

P Albert Abreu

Abreu has been the Lions closer for most of the season. While he's human and has his share of blown games, the Lions would welcome him back in 2025 at this pace. Question is, does someone in MLB give an offer? If so, he's going back to North America. 

P Bo Takahashi

Bo has been given the back end starter job and been average. He's not going to be the most attractive option, but to eat innings, he's done his part. There's a good chance the Lions retain his services in 2025.

P Jefry Yan

Yan has been more famous for his excessive strikeout celebrations. In reality, he's taken low leverage innings which is job someone needs to do. He's cost efficient, but is there really upside here? Based on performance, the Lions could easily look for an upgrade elsewhere.

IF Jesus Aguilar

Aguilar is all but done in chances with the Lions. He looks overwhelmed in his 30 games and has lost a step in his game. Unfortunately, it's likely he played through injuries and his decline from MLB speaks for itself in comparison to his peak 2018 season in Milwaukee. 

The gamble to let David MacKinnon walk with wanting Aguilar as a power hitter backfired. Crazy enough, MacKinnon is available as the Samsung Lions just released him this week. 

OF Franchy Cordero

Cordero saw even fewer games than Aguilar with only 22 and the Lions have given up on him since May.

He strikes out too much for a guy who can hit it hard and can be capable of barrels. It doesn't happen enough and he's on his way out at this pace.

Conclusion 

Anything goes. Anyone on this roster who isn't a proven regular should be nervous when it's the end of the season.  When you're an awful team being run by a cheap ownership and have failed to scout/develop position players for years, this is what happens. Kazuo Matsui was the first scapegoat, but who else in the front office or staff deserves to go?

Maybe the people who liked Kento Watanabe would be a start. 

===

Follow us on X @GraveyardBall

Lions failures make 2024 a lost season

 

This blog has been inactive thanks to being on several trips, including a recent dismissal of Kazuo Matsui as the manager of the Saitama Seibu Lions. 

Let's catch up on the several things from May and more.

Former coach passed away

On May 5, former pitching coach Eiji Kiyokawa passed away from a battle with cancer. The team announced this news a week after his passing as they mourned for him. He served as a farm pitching coach from 2019-2023 and his last work was under an advisory role for 2024. 

As a player, Kiyokawa, 62, was a pitcher for the Hiroshima Carp and Kintetsu Buffaloes. Prior to the Lions, he also served as a coach for the Carp and Orix Buffaloes. 

===

Matsui's "retirement" occurs before interleague play

Kazuo Matsui was forced into a "leave of absence" or "rest" by the Lions front office after an abysmal 15-30 record through May 26. The Lions won their final two games in a weekend series against the Orix Buffaloes, but it wasn't enough as the team suffered two losing streaks of at seven games or more, including an eight game losing streak from May 14-24. 

General manager Hisanobu "Nabe-Q" Watanabe named himself the "acting" general manager as they search for a long term replacement. 

Nabe-Q managed his first game since 2013 on May 28 against the Chunichi Dragons. 

===

Lions offense remains as weak as ever

The one fear most people had dating back to last season was needing an improvement on offense. Unfortunately, they've taken a further step backwards with both foreign position players in Jesus Aguilar and Franchy Cordero took time off the ichi-gun roster, though the latter is back. 

This worst case scenario just continues with a lack of pop aside from occasional HRs by an old Takeya Nakamura, who is coming to hit 500 for his career.  

===

Nearly every position player drafted since 2017 is either a busy or part time player at best

The biggest elephant in the room points at Kento Watanabe, the first round pick of 2020, not doing anything at the ichi-gun four years removed from college. He's just one of many whiffs by the Lions front office or even the coaching staff at failing to develop. 

Manaya Nishikawa was a second round high school pick in 2017, but he can't win himself a job. 

Kakeru Yamanobe was thought to be insurance for the loss of Hideto Asamura, but he's only seen as a bench person for his poor hitting. 

Gakuto Wakabayashi can't fulfill the promise he once held in 2021. 

Only Yuto Koga appears to have developed as a hitter and being the full-time catcher. Regardless, the Lions can't reload like they used to when losing a star player to free agency. 

There is still hope for Takuya Hiruma, but time will run out if there's no progress by 2025.

===

Organizational cheapness comes back to bite

There can be a catch to keeping a player too long.  See Yuji Kaneko, Tatsushi Masuda and Ken Togame. However, it's been known when a star player reaches free agency and wants money, he usually leaves the Lions. 

Takayuki Kishi was the most clear as day moment when the Lions wouldn't budge their hard offer, something the Rakuten Eagles beat by a mile. 

It's happened several times in history from going back to Kazuhiro Kiyohara signing with the Yomiuri Giants and Kimiyasu Kudo with the Daiei Hawks. 

This is a constant of the Lions front office not being with the times, though they've invested in their ballpark and player dormitories, the culture hasn't led to keeping several of their players around. 

More recently Tomoya Mori signed with the Orix Buffaloes with no regrets. 

Even with the star pitchers currently here, will they want to walk when they reach domestic free agency? It's likely.

===

What happens now?

At this rate, it's about trying to have the best season you can have. Develop your players, dump the deadweight and look for fresh blood.

It's now a mistake the Lions dumped David MacKinnon with a fake lowball offer thinking Aguilar was an upgrade. 

The only thing this Lions organization has gotten right, is taking Natsuki Takeuchi with talent over need in Ryuki Watarai.  Takeuchi has lived up to the hype of expectations and the scouts got it right showing his command and versatility in pitches have helped the rotation. But even then, it's hard not to think he'll want to leave when he reaches seven years of service time, or even as low as six if the new agreement changes. 

Nabe-Q is just being a caretaker seeking a replacement. As cool as Koji Akiyama sounds as a name, he's been away from the game since 2014 and wouldn't be ideal since the times have changed. 

The Lions will need to spend these next few months wisely as they find a manager who can both coach and display strong leadership. 

Kazuo Matsui's dismissal is only a classic scapegoat move as the fall guy for the Lions failures. It happens all the time in sports to have the manager/head coach being the first domino to fall.

He's the face of all the responsibility, but his issue stems with constant poor offense, an issue that's been around since 2020, or to translate, when Shogo Akiyama signed with the Cincinnati Reds. 

With the current structure, the front office in charge of scouting position players or coaches developing them needs to change. Someone has lost their touch now that we're at five years and counting of being dismal offensively.

===

Follow us on X @GraveyardBall