9/20/2014: Machida, Tokyo, Japan – The season is over for the Nichibutsu Crestas, as they finished in 3^rd place in the Minarai Doumei’s Eastern Sky division with a 65-55 record. After a heartbreaking loss in the championship last year, this team never got on track. Unlike last season when Augusto Delgado was destroying the minor league, this season’s group was a bunch of youngsters or old veterans present in case of injury in the majors. The pitching staff was mostly made up of career minor leaguers, but that will change next year when the next wave of Ninjas are promoted from A-ball. While some fans might be disappointed that this Crestas team won’t be of much help to the C-Warriors in 2015, the young players it does have should all help in 2016. Also, next year’s Crestas will have a lot of young talent to keep the fan base happy.

Today, we will look at the pitchers that played on the Crestas this year and prognosticate their future. Tomorrow, we will do the same for the hitters. So without further ado…

Naofumi Sakuma – Naofumi was signed at end of year to help the Crestas make a push for second place. He had an awful game and was released. Naofumi has zero future with team.

Orinosuke Ohara – The organization brought Orinosuke back after he recovered from surgery, hoping he could fill in if any injuries occurred, but after five games with the Crestas, Orinosuke was cut. The team will keep his phone number in the Rolodex, but he probably won’t ever be back.

Soichiro Sugano – Soichiro pitched in three games this year and got hit hard in all of them. He was clearly overmatched in AAA and only got to pitch there because of injuries. Over the last two seasons, Soichiro has lived on the waiver wire for the C-Warriors. If he doesn’t improve this off-season, he can expect more of the same next year.

Rob Graham – Rob has always looked decent on paper, but he has never been able to put things together. The C-Warriors decided to see if Japan would be where it came together for Rob. In seven games, Rob had a WHIP of 2.29 and a -1.9 VORP. He was released and is not expected to ever play for this organization again.

Josuke Kurihara – At one time, Josuke was looked as a future starter for the C-Warriors; now he is just another body in the minors. With the Ninjas’ pen getting crowded and the Crestas pen looking weak, Josuke was called up and given a shot. After four decent relief appearances, he was given an emergency start and got shelled. That was the last time he pitched. Like Soichiro, Josuke played the waiver wire game, and the team has put him on notice: If he doesn’t improve this off-season, he will be one of the first to go.

Juan Limón – With past successes in scouting quality relievers of Hispanic decent, the team tried Juan. He was a complete failure; after eight games, he had an ERA of 10.20, WHIP 2.27 and -8.5 VORP. The team released him and will never look back.

Eichiro Yamasaki – He was signed late in the year, hoping to play in the LRS. Eichiro did everything that was asked of him and excelled in the nine games he appeared. After compiling a 1.80 ERA, the team decided to promote him. He is currently showcasing himself for next season.

Nobukazu Horiuchi – With injuries piling up and the C-Warriors cycling through relief pitchers, Nobukazu was signed for some stopgap help. The team decided that his experience would be helpful for the Crestas’ end push. Instead, they got a completely washed-out pitcher. In three starts, he went 0-3 with an 11.74 ERA and a 2.15 WHIP. The team released Nobukazu and eliminated him from any future consideration.

Shintaro Suzuki – Shintaro was given a spot at AAA this year and did not impress. He went 12 games before he was cut and had an ERA of 6.32 and WHIP of 1.79. The team still follows Shintaro, now playing in the Edo organization.

Masato Noguchi – Signed in spring as insurance, Masato got into 11 games and had an ERA of only 3.18. The C-Warriors were desperate for pen help in June, so Masato got the call. He started well for the C-Warriors before completely fizzling out and being released. The team has no interest in bringing him back.

Torajiro Tanaka – Torajiro started the year in A-ball and wasn’t doing as well as he had in the past. The team decided it was because he needed more of a challenge, so Torajiro not only got promoted to AAA, but he was named closer right away. In 15 games, he went 2-0 and had nine saves with an ERA of 2.65. While the team would like to keep Torajiro at AAA next year, he won’t be closing; Kosho Hayashi will be in that role for the Crestas. If Torajiro improves some this off-season, though, he could surprise people and make the C-Warriors.

Yosai Samurakami – A past waiver wire kid, Yosai got a chance to make a couple starts for the Crestas. Unfortunately for him, he looked awful in both. At 25, the team figured he wasn’t improving any and released him. Minus a miracle, Yosai has seen his last day with this organization.

Masu Muto – Masu was a victim of having an option. The C-Warriors needed a spot starter and sent him down. Masu appeared in seven games with the Crestas, starting two of those times. He was untouchable and was called up as soon as a spot was open. Still, if he doesn’t have a good spring, Masu could be waived, as he has no more options left.

Sadakuno Kichikawa – Sadakuno had the same problem as Masu; he had an option left. When Sadakuno was sent down, he, too, was untouchable. The team brought him back up in June, but he was rocked in three appearances and was sent back to the Crestas. He excelled again and was called back up. Since then, he has proven that he may be worth inserting in a pen spot for the C-Warriors.

Takanobu Miyashita – While impressing in 2013, the C-Warriors probably were way too dependent on Takanobu going into 2014. It came back to hurt them; in 10 games (five starts), Takanobu had an ERA of 9.00, WHIP 2.35 and a -12.1 VORP. He was waived and sent to AAA. Takanobu was doing well for the Crestas – he was even inserted into the starting rotation because of injuries. Then he developed acute elbow soreness. His career may be over, but the team is keeping his rights for the moment, hoping for a recovery.

Katsuhiko Ikarashi – Katsuhiko started out with the C-Warriors butwas a disappointment from the start, just as in 2013. He lasted 12 games before being sent to AAA in late May. Katsuhiko did a great job as setup man for the Crestas. While he is still young, Katsuhiko will be out of options next year. If he has bad spring training, I don’t see him back.

Ray Moore – Two years ago, Ray was a free agent. Manchester released him after he blew out his arm. A week later, Ray signed with the C-Warriors and began his long rehab. Ray got in a total of 11 games in 2013 but didn’t do much to impress or disappoint. Coming into this season, the pressure was on; Ray was told he was going to be the closer for the Crestas. He was doing an adequate job, but with the call-up of Torajiro Tanaka, Ray was moved to middle reliever. Ray has shined in that role. The team is hoping Ray can improve on this effort, as he is penciled in for middle relief in the Crestas’ 2015 pen.

Sawao Honma – Sawao looked like he was going to be a key component in the future rotation of the C-Warriors, but his skills didn’t develop. Last year, he became a nomad. He didn’t pitch much, but when he did, he still looked good. So this season, the team told him that he would be starting for the Crestas. After seven games, Sawao looked like his old self. Then in game #8, he felt something pop while throwing a pitch. Ultimately, he needed elbow reconstruction surgery. He is out 13 months, and when he comes back, he won’t be guaranteed a spot.

Ichiyo Kubara – From 2011-13, Ichiyo was a key part of the Ninjas starting rotation. This season, he was given a promotion. Ichiyo was doing very well for his first time at AAA before suffering an ulnar nerve irritation, which shelved him for the rest of the season. It was thought his recovery was going well, but he suffered a minor setback recently that has added another month to his rehab. Next year, he will be at AAA again, but in 2016, he might be pitching for the C-Warriors.

Sugimoto Kudo – Sugimoto was claimed off waivers from Lupin as insurance for the C-Warriors. The problem was that Sugimoto never did anything to warrant a call-up. He was mediocre at best and just couldn’t find his groove with the Crestas. With the organization now having enough youth to pitch in at AAA next year, Sugimoto finds himself on the outside looking in.

Susumu Matsui – Susumu is well known for being a Rule 5 draft pick that stuck around in 2013. After a full season with the C-Warriors, the team thought it best if he started this year with the Crestas. Susumu didn’t like that idea and pitched like it the whole year. He appeared in 31 games, making nine starts (5.34 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, -3.4 VORP). Even with that disaster of a season, the team called him up for roster expansion. It is rumored that if he does not impress, he will be waived to clear a 35-man roster spot.

Oliver Rodríguez – Signed in May after being cut by San Antonio, Oliver sat on the Ninjas’ bench until July, when the Crestas needed series help in their rotation. Intended to be a temporary sub, Oliver became the #1 starter. He threw two shutouts, had 4 CG, a 2.55 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 28.4 VORP. Oliver is only 25 and doesn’t have the control needed to make it in the LRS, but the team is certainly bringing him back to help at AAA.

Dan Davis – After losing the Sun & Moon Unification last year, Dan walked thru the first three months this year like he was still devastated. Then in August, the old Dan Davis appeared. He did well enough to make his stats look respectable. Dan has always been patient with the C-Warriors. He feels he can start in the LRS, but he is always held back due to roster limitations. Will the C-Warriors be patient with Dan, though? The team might bring him back due to sentimental reasons, but without improvement, it is anyone’s guess.

Yoshifusa Yoshimura – Yoshifusa was a starter for most of the year. His first two months were great. Then in July, Yoshifusa hit a major roadblock. The coaching staff decided to put him in the pen for a few games before returning him to the rotation, where he again failed to impress. The team has always thought Yoshifusa’s future is in the pen. He is currently one of the players showcasing themselves in the majors. If Yoshifusa does well enough, he could be penciled in as a cheap middle reliever. The team can use the saved cash to sign another experienced reliever.

José Castillo – What can one say about José? Signed three years ago to plug a hole in the sinking ship, he is still plugging away 68 starts later. While 2013 was his best year as a professional, 2014 wasn’t far off. He had 12 wins, a 2.79 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 39.3 VORP. Every year, people question what is going to happen to José and if he will be back. Well, the obvious answer is, “Yes,” but nothing is ever obvious. If there is a spot between him and an insurance guy, you can bet it will be José, but if it is him or a young star prospect, well… you get it.