2025 NPB Active Player Draft Sees Numerous Players Relocate to New Teams

The 2025 NPB Active Player Draft was held, with many players moving to new teams in pursuit of fresh opportunities. According to the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB), a total of 12 players were selected, demonstrating active movement towards achieving the draft's objectives: strengthening each team's roster and creating playing opportunities for players.

Particularly noteworthy in this year's draft was the de facto “major trade” between the Yomiuri Giants and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. The Giants acquired left-handed pitcher Keito Matsuura from the Nippon-Ham Fighters. Expectations are high for Matsuura, an alumnus of Osaka Toin High School, to form a powerful left-handed pitching duo with fellow Osaka Toin alum Kaoru Yokogawa. Conversely, the Giants sent pitcher Daiki Kikuchi to the Nippon-Ham Fighters, a move that drew expressions of regret from some fans. It appears there were complex dealings between these two clubs, involving FA transfers and coaching staff appointments.

The Hanshin Tigers acquired outfielder Taiki Hamada from the Yakult Swallows. As a right-handed outfielder who can vie for the left field position, which currently lacks a regular starter, expectations are rising for him to become a “power-hitting right-handed prospect.” On the other hand, Hanshin's Hirodai Inoue moved to the Chiba Lotte Marines. Lotte manager Suburo praised Inoue as a “player with powerful hitting,” and some believe this move presents a good opportunity for Inoue to increase his playing time.

The Orix Buffaloes acquired Shota Hiranuma from the Seibu Lions. Fans expressed delight, calling him an “excellent player,” praising his versatility to cover multiple infield positions and his potential contribution as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner. Additionally, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles successfully strengthened their outfield with a right-handed batter by acquiring Naoki Sato from the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Sato, who had a career-high performance, is seen as a significant boost to the Eagles' roster.

An exchange trade was finalized between the Chunichi Dragons and the DeNA BayStars: the Dragons acquired infielder Naoto Chino from DeNA, and DeNA acquired Masanosuke Hama from Chunichi. Hama stated, “This is a great opportunity for me,” vowing to make a leap forward in his new environment.

However, this year's Active Player Draft also brought some issues to light. The absence of any second-round picks led to reports that rule changes proved ineffective. NPB officials were quoted saying, “There might be areas that need improvement,” and harsh opinions were seen on social media, such as “There aren't attractive players on the list” and “Listing only two players from one's own team is too lenient.” Some even commented, “This year's draft is small-scale” or “It's just being carried out as a ritual.”

The transferred players are expected to perform well in their new teams. Fans are eagerly watching how the new team compositions and roster balances will influence the course of next season's games.

The context

The NPB Active Player Draft (現役ドラフト, *gen'eki dorafuto*) is a relatively new system introduced by Nippon Professional Baseball in 2022. Its primary purpose is to revitalize the careers of players who might be struggling to get playing time on their current teams and to allow other teams to acquire talent to strengthen their rosters. Unlike the regular rookie draft, which focuses on amateur players, the Active Player Draft involves professional players already under contract. Each NPB team is required to list a specific number of eligible players (typically one or two per team) who have not been regular starters or who are younger players needing more opportunities. Other teams can then select from this pool of players. The goal is to facilitate player movement and ensure that players get a chance to contribute and develop, rather than languishing on the bench. The draft aims to create a more dynamic player market within NPB.