Rakuten Eagles outfielder Louis Okoye, once a highly touted prospect, was picked by the Yomiuri Giants in Friday's draft for active players looking for more playing time.
In Nippon Professional Baseball's first draft for those players, held behind closed doors, each club listed at least two of their men, giving them new opportunities to play in other teams, and each club then drafted at least one.
Okoye, Rakuten's first-round pick in the 2015 NPB draft, made no top-team appearances in 2020 and was limited to six games this year as his career continues to be hampered by injuries.
Asked to comment on the 25-year-old speedster's move to Yomiuri, Rakuten manager and former major league pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii said in an online interview, "A new environment might help his talent bloom."
Chunichi Dragons left-hander Shotaro Kasahara, the club's opening-day starter in 2019, was drafted by the DeNA BayStars.
The Seibu Lions chose Hanshin Tigers infielder Naomasa Yokawa, while the Hiroshima Carp picked Yomiuri left-handed reliever Chiaki Tone.
