The Yomiuri Giants are often referred to as Japan's answer to the New York Yankees — the "Evil Empire" version of the Bronx Bombers anyway — and the offseason they've had makes it easy to see why.
After finishing a fourth straight season without winning at least the Central League pennant — tantamount to crisis in the gilded halls of Tokyo Dome — Yomiuri went on an old-school shopping spree.
Over the winter, the Giants not only signed former Hiroshima Carp outfielder Yoshihiro Maru, the two-time reigning CL MVP and crown jewel of the free-agent market, but also reeled in pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma, a former Pacific League MVP and most recently of the Seattle Mariners organization, and infielder Hiroyuki Nakajima, another former multiple-time All-Star. The team also added depth at catcher by signing former Seibu Lions backstop Ginjiro Sumitani as a free agent.