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The story
On October 1, the Hiroshima Carp notified four players — Kaito Kozono, Masaya Yano, Seita Maekawa, and Shunsuke Tamura — that their contracts would not be renewed for next season. Speculation had linked Kozono to a drug-related issue uncovered within the team, but the club stated that its investigation “could not confirm” any involvement. On the YouTube channel “Rozan’s Dressing Room,” comedy duo Rozan’s Hironobu Ujihara commented on the possibility of signing the released players, saying it’s “not a legal issue, so it’s up to each team to decide” and that “no illegal conduct was ever established.” Following these remarks, opinion on 5ch split between those who felt signing the players was fine since there’s no legal problem, and those who argued no team could afford to take the risk while suspicions remain unresolved.
Rozan’s Ujihara: On “Signing” Released Carp Player Kozono, “It’s Up to Each Team to Decide”
Comedy duo Rozan updated their YouTube channel “Rozan’s Dressing Room” on the 2nd, discussing the Hiroshima Carp’s decision to release four players.
On the 1st, the Carp announced they would not renew contracts with four players — Kaito Kozono, Masaya Yano, Seita Maekawa, and Shunsuke Tamura — for next season.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
They'll probably just end up fighting over salary and posting anyway.
In pro baseball, which has a mountain of sponsors, a drug image is seriously bad news.
Makes you wonder what the high school ballplayers think about this too.
High school baseball has its own share of issues too lol
This isn't social punishment. Every team cuts loose 5-6 players a year who don't fit their plans — this is the same thing.
Do you even know what "referral to prosecutors" (shorui-sōken) actually means?
The two players whose homes were searched will be referred to prosecutors. Japan's Code of Criminal Procedure follows the "all-case referral" principle, so once an investigation happens, referral to prosecutors is unavoidable regardless of whether evidence is found.
The Giants don't care about this kind of thing. Good for you, Kozono.
Hiroshima's front office is pretty much garbage. They cut four core players, and three more leaving via free agency is all but certain. Attendance has plummeted too. It's all on the front office. And honestly, after causing this much trouble and cutting players loose, it's unbelievable the front office hasn't resigned.
Don't need him. Kozono's shortstop defense is honestly full of holes, and the only option for Sato's replacement is developing Tateishi.
Where's the honest person in this? Hazuki was only found guilty because his family reported him and he tested positive.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
This season, suspicions of drug use arose around some Hiroshima Carp players and became the subject of an investigation, but for Kozono specifically, the club’s own investigation stated his involvement “could not be confirmed” — he has neither faced criminal charges nor been indicted. The thread included some back-and-forth over what “referral to prosecutors” (shorui-sōken) actually means; worth noting as context is that Japan’s Code of Criminal Procedure follows an “all-case referral” principle, meaning that once someone becomes the subject of an investigation, referral to prosecutors can happen regardless of whether evidence is found. Opinion split between those who felt the decision should be left to each team as long as no legal problem has been confirmed, and those who argued that no team worried about sponsors and fans could afford to take the risk while suspicion lingers — the disagreement ultimately comes down to how to weigh “not being found illegal” against “suspicion still remaining.” Some commenters also brought up baseball’s history of match-fixing and gambling scandals, making this a thread less about one player’s future and more about the state of compliance awareness in professional baseball itself.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Rozan’s Ujihara: On Signing Released Carp Player Kozono, “It’s Not a Legal Issue, So It’s Up to Each Team to Decide,” “No Illegal Conduct Was Ever Established”.”
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