Seibu Lions Manaya Nishikawa outfielder met for contract renewal negotiations at the team's office in Tokorozawa, Saitama, on November 11, and signed for 57 million yen, an increase of 35 million yen (all amounts are estimates).

Upon receiving an offer of more than double his previous salary, Nishikawa broke into a smile and said, "I'm truly happy. I've decided to work even harder next year." In his eighth season this year, he played in a career-high 124 games, recording 134 hit, a batting average of .264, 10 Home Run, and 38 RBI. He also won his first Mitsui Golden Glove Award defense. Team general manager Hiroike commented, "He's one of the highest-rated players among our fielder."

On the autograph board, he wrote his goals for next season: "Play in every game, get the most hit." He vowed strongly, "I definitely want to win the most hit next year."