Rakuten Eagles General Manager Kazuhisa Ishii responded to an interview at the team's office in Sendai on the 15th and spoke about outfielder Carson McCusker, with whom a contract agreement was announced on the 14th.

McCusker is a right-handed pitcher right-handed hitter outfielder originally from the United States, boasting a large build at 203 cm tall and weighing 113 kg. After playing in the independent leagues in the US, he played for the Twins this season, appearing in 16 games. GM Ishii expressed his hopes for the growth of this fascinating new foreign player, saying, "He'll be 28 next year, and he's still young, so if he can gain solid experience in Japan, I think he'll become an even better batter suited to Japan. He's not a complete batter yet, so I want him to build a varied career in Japan."

In AAA, he played in 106 games, posting a batting average of .246, 22 Home Run, and 70 RBI. GM Ishii seemed impressed, saying, "He's a batter with incredible potential once he adjusts, so we have high expectations for him and want to work closely with him to help him grow." The team's high expectations were also evident in the fact that they added an option to extra inning his contract after the second year, recognizing his high potential. "You never know how he'll adjust when he comes to Japan. The ball is different, pitcher 's pitching is different, and everything else is different, so we want to see how much he can adjust, so we're keeping the option in place. However, he has such potential that it would be a shame to let him go after just one year," he added emphatically.

The team has steadily improved its roster with the addition infielder Luke Voit, who joined midway through this season and will continue playing next season, and outfielder Naoki Sato, who was pitcher by Softbank Hawks. General Manager Ishii also revealed that the team is continuing to research new foreign players, and expressed confidence, saying, "I think we'll be able to start the season with a good lineup."