Pitcher Hiroya Shimamoto, who joined Nippon-Ham pitcher from Hanshin Tigers in the trade with Fushimi, held a press conference at ESCON on the 3rd. number was decided to be "40."

When asked about his honest thoughts when he was informed of the trade, he said, "I was surprised. I hadn't imagined it at all." Regarding his impression of Nippon-Ham he said, "They have a lot of young players, and I think they're a really strong team."

On the day of the announcement, he received a direct message (DM) from Coach Shinjo on social media. "He messaged me and said, 'I'm waiting for you.'" Regarding the main way of contacting players via DM, he revealed, "He said he'd seen it on a TV show and that it really had come. I was surprised (laughs). He said, 'I'm looking forward to working with you.'"

He is expected to be an experienced left-handed reliever, and he was enthusiastic, saying, "I'm confident in my ability to throw straight pitches to left-handed batters on the inside, and in fork. I think the most important thing is to pitch well in the first team from the start of the season until the end."

◇ Shimamoto Hiroya (Shimamoto Hiroya) Born February 14, 1993 in Nara Prefecture. 32 years old. Joined Hanshin Tigers as the second pick in the 2010 development draft from Fukuchiyama Seibi High School. Registered as a regular player in the off-season of 2014. In 2019, he pitched in 63 games and supported bullpen, but underwent Tommy John surgery in the off-season of 2020. After signing a development contract, he was registered as a regular player again in 2022. He has pitched in 204 games in total, with 13 wins and 4 losses, 1 save, 39 hold, and ERA 2.97. He is 176 cm tall and weighs 73 kg. He throws and bats left-handed.