Giants ponder how to acquire Japan home-run king

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New York -- The idea sounds far-fetched, but not so much that the Giants have dismissed it altogether.

Some within the organization have discussed the possibility of acquiring former Mariners prospect Wladimir Balentien, who hit his 56th home run for the Yakult Swallows on Sunday to break Sadaharu Oh's venerated Japanese single-season record.

The Giants have a great connection with Balentien. He is from Curacao and has known batting coach Hensley Meulens for years. Meulens managed the 29-year-old outfielder with the Netherlands in this year's World Baseball Classic and they text every day, mostly small talk and encouragement.

"He wants to come back," Meulens said. "That's what he told me two or three weeks ago. His dream is to come back and play in the major leagues."

There is one hitch, and it's a big one. Balentien signed a three-year contract with the Swallows before this season, his third in Japan, which means he will not be a free agent until the end of 2015. Aside from Tom Selleck in "Mr. Baseball," players are not traded between the major leagues and Japan.

"We've talked about him, but nobody knows how to go about it, to get out of the contract," Meulens said. The conversations have been more theoretical and have not involved general manager Brian Sabean.

Some arrangement with the Swallows would have to be made, and they might not want him to go.

Yakult Swallows' Wladimir Balentien hits his 54th home run of the season off Hiroshima Carp's Kan Otake in the sixth inning of their regular season game at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013. Former major leaguer Balentien has 22 regular-season games left to reach the mark of Japanese baseball's record of 55 set by Sadaharu Oh in 1964 and matched by ex-major leaguers Tuffy Rhodes in 2001 and Alex Cabrera in 2002. JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT less Yakult Swallows' Wladimir Balentien hits his 54th home run of the season off Hiroshima Carp's Kan Otake in the sixth inning of their regular season game at Jingu Stadium in Tokyo Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013. ... more Photo: Kyodo News Photo: Kyodo News Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Giants ponder how to acquire Japan home-run king 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Balentien was a big prospect with the Mariners but did not blossom. In 2009, his final season in the majors, the right-handed hitter batted .234 with seven homers and 70 strikeouts in 265 at-bats.

Balentien was touted as the next Andruw Jones, another native of the Netherlands Antilles.

"That was unfair to him, and he tried to play up to that," Meulens said. "It never happened. Now you can see he's mature and he's kind of a late bloomer, actually."

The numbers - 56 home runs and a .339 average - are inflated partly by a livelier ball that was introduced surreptitiously to the Japan Leagues this year. But in the WBC, Meulens saw a guy who has learned how to hit offspeed pitches and splitters, which pitchers in Japan throw constantly.

Wednesday at Mets 4:10 p.m. CSNBA Cain (8-9) vs. Harang (5-12) Thursday at Mets 10:10 a.m. CSNBA Bumgarner (12-10) vs. Niese (7-7) Friday at Yankees 4:05 p.m. CSNBA Lincecum (10-13) vs. Sabathia (13-13)