NPB Mid-Season Imports: Gonzalez, Voit, Ford
Nippon Professional Baseball teams have begun bolstering their squads with mid-season signings. With the deadline to add players to an NPB 70-man roster approaching at the end of July, more acquisitions are expected in the coming weeks, but some squads have already moved early to import talent.
OF Oscar Gonzalez, Rakuten Eagles
OSCAR GONZALEZ WALK-OFF HOMER IN THE 15th! #POSTSEASON pic.twitter.com/bVpy55LKXz
— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2022
Gonzalez, 27, is best remembered for his postseason heroics with the Cleveland Guardians, delivering a walk-off home run in the 15th inning of the 2022 American League Wild Card Series. He followed that up with another walk-off hit against the New York Yankees in the ALDS, though the Guardians ultimately lost the series.
However, the Dominican outfielder struggled to sustain that momentum. His OPS+ dropped from 125 to 51 in 2023, and after a brief stint with the San Diego Padres in 2025, during which he managed a .483 OPS in 21 games, he was released on May 19. Shortly after, Gonzalez signed a two-year, $2 million deal with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Oscar Gonzalez’s 1st career NPB homer!
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) June 12, 2025
In his first ten NPB games, Gonzalez has given Rakuten a bit of a spark with a 126 OPS+ and two home runs. Some concerns remain, as he has yet to draw a walk in 45 plate appearances and owns a below-average 40.4% chase rate, but Gonzalez is expected to be a key piece of Rakuten’s offense moving forward.
1B/DH Luke Voit, Rakuten Eagles
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Luke Voit
Welcome to TOHOKU！
＼#ルーク・ボイト 選手との間で契約を合意しましたので、お知らせいたします。https://t.co/FF0g9XUcXE#RakutenEagles pic.twitter.com/X11Wcs15DW— 東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス (@Rakuten__Eagles) June 10, 2025
Following the Gonzalez pick-up, Rakuten signed Voit on June 2. The Missouri native led MLB with 22 home runs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and was notably part of the 2022 blockbuster trade that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego, with Voit heading to Washington alongside a haul of prospects.
Aaron Judge's 469-foot homer last night in Kansas City was an absolute moonshot, but it's not the longest homer by a Yankee at Kauffman Stadium.
Luke Voit has him beat by one foot with this blast in 2019. pic.twitter.com/SJO1sBQ0Fk
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) June 11, 2025
He had a successful MLB run from 2017 to 2022, slashing .254/.342/.476 with 95 home runs over 486 games. However, he regressed in 2023 with Milwaukee, posting a .548 OPS in 22 games. He joined the Mexican League in 2024 and crushed 23 home runs with a .944 OPS over 81 games. In 2025, the 34-year-old was on pace to surpass those numbers, posting 12 jacks and a 1.015 OPS in just 41 games before leaving the team to pursue an NPB opportunity.
Voit has yet to make his debut in Japan, but he’s expected to take over as the team’s first baseman or designated hitter, replacing Maikel Franco, who has struggled with just a .606 OPS over three NPB seasons.
1B/DH Mike Ford, DeNA BayStars
Ford was part of the BayStars’ Japan Series-winning team in 2024 after joining as a midseason acquisition, and now, he’s taking the same path once again. The 32-year-old appeared in 251 MLB games with a career 93 OPS+, with his most recent success coming in 2023 with Seattle, where he hit 16 home runs in 83 games and posted a 124 OPS+.
After signing with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars last year, Ford spent most of his time on the farm team, where he produced a 113 OPS+ with eight long balls in 41 games. He also appeared in six regular season games with the top team, hitting one homer. However, his biggest impact came in the postseason, where he slashed .333/.412/.600 over 17 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter and designated hitter.
Mike Ford with a pinch-hit RBI single to tie the game in the 5th
— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) October 21, 2024
He parted ways with the team at the end of the season, though he reportedly drew interest from other clubs in Asia. The slugger went on to sign a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins, where he slashed .239/.351/.436 with eight dingers in 49 games for Triple-A St. Paul before making his return to Hamasta.
Though the Central League does not use a designated hitter, Ford could give DeNA a much-needed power boost, especially against right-handed pitching, as superstar Tyler Austin remains sidelined with a knee injury. The BayStars’ lineup has collectively underperformed this season, only posting a 95 OPS+ after ranking among the best in NPB last year with a 110 OPS+.
WBN Japan: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
Photo: Cleveland Guardians’ Oscar Gonzalez celebrates while running the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
