On May 12, both the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks officially announced a trade agreement that sent DeNA’s starting catcher, Yudai Yamamoto (27), to the Hawks in exchange for two players: pitcher Shuto Ogata (26) and infielder Tomoya Inoue (23). Yamamoto, who earned both the Best Nine and Golden Glove awards last season, was a key contributor to ace pitcher Higashi’s league-leading win total. The news sent shockwaves through the BayStars fanbase on social media, with many expressing disbelief early Tuesday morning.
“I honestly thought it was fake news for a second,” one user posted. Another wrote, “Yamamoto on the Hawks is a huge threat…” while others exclaimed, “A trade of this caliber actually happens?!” and “They’re really letting him go?!” The reactions reflected a mix of surprise, concern, and excitement across the platform.
**Player Profiles:**
– **Yudai Yamamoto** (born September 11, 1998, in Osaka) is 27 years old. He attended Kyoto Shoei High School, where he played in the summer Koshien tournament during his third year. After playing in the BC League for Shiga, he was drafted by DeNA in the ninth round of the 2017 NPB draft. He played 51 games in 2021 and 108 games in 2024, becoming the first player from an independent league to win the Golden Glove Award. That same year, he also won the Best Nine Award. Over his professional career, he has appeared in 396 games, batting .256 with 14 home runs and 111 RBIs. He stands 180 cm tall, weighs 87 kg, bats right-handed, throws right-handed, and earned an annual salary of 73 million yen.
– **Tomoya Inoue** (born January 28, 2003, in Shijonawate, Osaka) is 23 years old. He played for the Ikoma Boys team in junior high and was selected for the Boys Japan National Team in his third year. In high school, he attended Hana Sakura Tokuharu High School (Saitama), participating in the summer Koshien tournament in his first and second years, as well as the summer Koshien exchange event in his third year. He hit 50 home runs in his high school career. Drafted by SoftBank in the first round of the 2020 NPB draft, he made his first-team debut in 2023 and also hit his first professional home run. In 28 career games, he has a batting average of .181 with 1 home run and 4 RBIs. He is 182 cm tall, weighs 91 kg, bats right-handed, throws right-handed, and earned an annual salary of 9.3 million yen.
– **Shuto Ogata** (born May 15, 1999, in Miyagi Prefecture) is 26 years old. He attended Gakushu Ishikawa High School before being drafted by SoftBank in the first round of the 2017 NPB developmental draft. He was added to the active roster in March 2020. Last season, he made a career-high 38 appearances, posting a 1-1 record with 5 holds and a 4.67 ERA. This season, he has appeared in 10 games. He stands 182 cm tall, weighs 90 kg, bats left-handed, throws right-handed, and earned an annual salary of 27 million yen.
