Rakuten pitcher Takahiro Norimoto (34), who exercised his overseas free agent (FA) rights, participated in the "Rakuten Eagles Fan Appreciation Festival 2025 Supported by Aoyama Clothing - EAGLES MEETS YOU!" held at his home Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi on the 22nd. He interacted with many fans through talk shows and autograph sessions. He received "thank you" from fans as he moved, and reflected, "That made me really happy."
There have been no concrete talks about the status of negotiations yet. He revealed that he uses major league balls in practice, saying, "I think I'll continue practicing (with major league balls) from now on." After hearing the voices of his fans, he said, "Whatever I do, I want to make a choice that I will have no regrets about and that I'm happy with."
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・ [Rakuten] Takahiro Norimoto, who exercised his overseas free agent rights, participated in the fan appreciation event, drawing applause for his words, "I hope you will continue to support us."
・ [Rakuten] Takahiro Norimoto declares that he will exercise his right to become an overseas free agent, saying, "I want to live baseball life without regrets."
・ [Rakuten] Takahiro Norimoto invites 30 people to the stadium: "Seeing their smiles gives me courage"
・ [Hanshin Tigers] After 10 hours of negotiations, Koji Chikamoto decides to stay with the team for five years on a total of 2.5 billion yen. "I really struggled with my decision and my feelings," he said, and did not exercise his free agency.
・ Rakuten 's Ryosuke Tatsumi declares free agency on the final day of the deadline, saying, "Is there a team that needs me?" He "hasn't given up on my dream of going to the majors"
