On the 2nd, Rakuten announced that it had signed a player contract with outfielder Oscar Gonzalez (27) for next season. It was also announced that three players, infielder Michael Franco (33), pitcher Spencer Howard (29), and pitcher Miguel Yajure (27), had decided not to sign contracts with the team for next season and would leave the team.

Gonzalez joined the team from the Padres in June of this year. At the time, General Manager Kazuhisa Ishii revealed that his contract was valid until next season. Despite his powerful hitting, he played in 53 games this season, hitting .229 with 19 RBI and 4 Home Run, which meant he wasn't able to fully demonstrate his potential and was demoted to the second team. "I'm very excited to be a part of a team that will be a campeon (champion) next season and be able to contribute with all my strength. I'm looking forward to returning home and having a great time with the fans and my teammates," he commented.

Franco, in his third season, played in a career-high 101 games this season, but was unable to contribute offensively, hitting only seven Home Run runs, his lowest total. Howard, in his first year with the team, had a 5-1 record but was limited to pitching in just nine games due to injury. Yahoo!, who transferred from Yakult, pitched in 14 games, finishing with a 2-6 record and ERA of 4.48, which was a disappointing result.

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