Rakuten Eagles 's General Manager, Kazuhisa Ishii, spoke to reporters at the team's office in Sendai on the 15th and commented on outfielder Carson McCusker, whose contract agreement was announced on the 14th.

McCusker is from the United States and boasts a lanky build, standing 203 cm tall and weighing 113 kg, outfielder of right-handed pitcher right-handed hitter. After playing in the U.S. Independent League, he played for the Twins this season, appearing in 16 games. GM Ishii said of the fascinating new helper, "He will be 28 next year, and he is still young. If he gains solid experience in Japan, I think he will become a good hitter with Japanese specifications even more so, and he is not yet a complete hitter, so I hope he will have a varied career in Japan," and hoped he would grow.

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.

infielder Luke Voit, who joined the team midway through this season and will play next season as well, and outfielder Naoki Sato from Softbank Hawks in the active player draft, have been acquired. pitcher Kenta Maeda, who has 165 career wins in Japan and the US, has also been acquired, and the team's strength is steadily being built up. GM Ishii also revealed that they are continuing to scout for new foreign players, and expressed confidence, saying, "I think we'll be able to start the season with a good lineup."