▲ DeNA’s former starting catcher, Yamamoto Yudai, is moving to the SoftBank Hawks.
The DeNA BayStars, pushed into a crisis by a string of injuries to key pitchers, have put their starting catcher on the trade block. In a deal that sent their primary backstop to the SoftBank Hawks in exchange for promising pitcher and infield prospects, Japanese media reacted with terms like “surprising announcement” and “shocking trade.”
Early on the 12th, a 1-for-2 trade between DeNA and SoftBank was finalized. DeNA sent catcher Yamamoto Yudai to the Hawks, acquiring pitcher Ogata Shuto and infielder Inoue Tomoya in return.
DeNA had been desperate to bolster their pitching staff after Austin Cox’s season-ending surgery and John Duplantier’s struggles with form led to his departure. As of the 11th, they held a 17-17 record, tied with the Yomiuri Giants at .500. While they trailed the second-place Hanshin Tigers by 3.5 games, with fewer than 100 games played, the opportunity to climb the standings remained open. To address this, they needed to strengthen their pitching, leading them to trade their starting catcher to the Hawks in exchange for a young pitcher.
Yamamoto was drafted by DeNA in 2017. He gradually increased his first-team appearances, playing 71 games in 2023, 104 in 2024, and 108 last year. This season, he had appeared in 28 games and was behind the plate in both of his starts during the three-game series against Hanshin just before the trade. He had also been selected for the national team in 2024 for games against Australia and in 2025 against the Netherlands.
The players DeNA acquired are not immediate everyday starters. Ogata is a pitching prospect known for his fastball that reaches 159 km/h. He joined professional baseball through the 2017 developmental draft and posted a 1-1 record with a 4.67 ERA and 5 holds in 38 games last year. This season, he had a 0-2 record with a 3.00 ERA in 10 games. Inoue was drafted by SoftBank in 2020 and has a career batting average of .181 with 1 home run over 28 professional games.
Japanese media expressed surprise at the trade of a starting catcher. Daily Sports reported it as a “1-for-2 shocking trade that sends the starting catcher away,” while Full-Count called it an “unusual transfer where the starting catcher is traded” and described it as a “surprising announcement.”
Yamamoto released a statement through the club: “I was surprised to hear about the trade suddenly. Honestly, I have mixed feelings. I am grateful to the club, the coaching staff, and all the staff members who have helped me grow to this point. I wanted to show a strong performance at Yokohama Stadium. We started the season aiming for a league championship, and it’s frustrating that I couldn’t achieve that goal with my own strength.”
He also bid farewell to the fans: “The support from the BayStars fans was warm, strong, and passionate. Every time I took the field at Yokohama Stadium, I drew strength from it. I realize again how happy that was. I will not forget the courage and support you gave me, and I will continue to take on new challenges. Thank you so much for the last nine years.”