Rakuten infielder Itsuki Murabayashi Kazuki attended contract negotiations at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi on the 1st and signed for an annual salary of 125 million yen, an increase of 67 million yen (all amounts are estimates). This season, he played in 137 games as a regular third baseman, batting .281 and winning the Golden Glove Award and Best Nine. He hit 144 hit and won the title for most hit. For the first time in his 10th year as a professional, he has surpassed 100 million yen. "I think I've grown a little bit since I was able to win my first individual title. Year after year, I've been building up little by little," he reflected.

On the colored paper, he wrote "championship" with great force, saying, "This is what I want most. It's what I want to keep." Next season, he aims to contribute more to the team's win, not just to his individual performance.