The brass of Japanese baseball are concerned about a potential exodus of premier talent to the major leagues, after high school pitching prospect Shohei Otani revealed his decision Sunday to forgo a career at home in favor of playing in the United States.
"There is a clear and present danger of talent being hollowed out of our game," Yomiuri Giants team president Tsunekazu Momoi said. "We need to take this opportunity to discuss whether the existing rules are working, and how we can sell Japanese baseball to someone whose goal is to play in America."
Otani's decision came as something of a shock to Nippon Professional Baseball teams, who were planning to select him in the first round of Thursday's amateur draft. Otani will be the first potential No. 1 pick to go straight from a Japanese high school to the United States.