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The story
On October 1, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp notified four players — Kaito Kozono, Masaya Yano, Seita Maekawa, and Shunsuke Tamura — that their contracts would not be renewed for next season. The list includes last year’s batting champion Kozono and Yano, a Golden Glove winner two years prior, which raised eyebrows given the backdrop: a scandal involving former player Ryutaro Hazuki, who was arrested and convicted for using the designated drug etomidate, known as “zombie cigarettes.” The team cited an “inability to build trust” as the reason, but on 5channel, rumors swirled that a trade sending Kozono to the Hanshin Tigers had been under discussion behind the scenes, sparking debate over whether the decision was fair and where the players might land next.
Amid the ongoing “zombie cigarette” scandal, with investigations and fact-finding still underway, the team made the harsh call not to renew contracts with four players for next season.
On October 1, the Hiroshima Carp announced that infielders Kaito Kozono, Masaya Yano, and Seita Maekawa, along with outfielder Shunsuke Tamura, would not have their contracts renewed for next season. Kozono won the batting title last year and also topped the league in on-base percentage, while Yano took home a Golden Glove award the year before. News that core Hiroshima players were being released sent shockwaves through fans.
Dark clouds had been gathering over Hiroshima’s season even before it began. In January, former player Ryutaro Hazuki, who had been with the team through the previous season, was arrested on suspicion of violating the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act by using the designated drug etomidate — known as “zombie cigarettes.” At his first hearing in May, he admitted to the charges and was convicted.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Go try a newspaper-owned team in Aichi or Tokyo (i.e. the Chunichi Dragons or Yomiuri Giants, both owned by newspaper companies)
he's a Hanshin fan after all
Unfortunately, he's actually a 'Kyokasu' (derisive slang for a Yomiuri Giants fan)
No MLB team wants a singles hitter like that
it's not like his speed or defense stand out either
is that traditional 'black-suited gentlemen' ballclub
no team's taking on that kind of risk for him
is Kozono actually free to sign with another team right now?
Why not try challenging the majors? There's bound to be a team willing to take a chance on him
I doubt it
He's got no power
Best case scenario, maybe Mexico?
His career-best OPS is .753
Going by past examples, he'd be lucky to even hit the .600s over there
No team is taking a player like that
And how much longer is Emoto going to keep doing commentary anyway?
To begin with, not being able to play defense is a dealbreaker in MLB
unless you've got overwhelming power to make up for it
Yeah, that's obviously the only explanation if you think about it normally
that's exactly why they carefully worded it as 'no trust'
Still, I don't think Kozono would cut it over there
Wasn't he banned for steroids?
Guys like Tatis Jr. came right back like nothing happened though
MLB is lenient when it comes to drugs
Josh Hamilton, back when he was with the Rangers, went through the team's rehab program and came back to put up real results too
If anything, SoftBank and the Giants are more lenient
Background and Key Points of This Story
“Zombie cigarettes” is the street name for etomidate, an anesthetic classified as a designated drug under Japan’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act. Former player Ryutaro Hazuki was arrested in January for using it, and at his first hearing in May he admitted to the charges and was convicted. It’s worth noting — and easy to overlook — that the four players released this time were not themselves charged with any drug offense; the team emphasized “an inability to build trust,” not drug use, as its reason. Kozono himself, at the press conference following his release, explicitly denied any involvement with illegal drugs or organized crime. Opinions in the thread were split: some argued other teams would be hesitant to sign him for fear new facts might surface after the fact, while others pointed to MLB’s more lenient drug policies compared to Japan’s as opening the door to a possible overseas move. Some commenters likened it to past “Black Mist” scandals in Japanese baseball history, reflecting the broader difficulty of how to treat players who remain only under suspicion.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5channel (Geisoku+) thread “[Zombie Cigarettes] Hiroshima ‘Also Considered Trading Kozono to Hanshin’ — Team Declares Four Players Non-Tendered Over ‘Inability to Build Trust’ [Ailuropoda melanoleuca★].”
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