outfielder Hirohiro Inoue (24), who joined Lotte from Hanshin Tigers in the active player draft, held a press conference at Zozo on the 17th.

A native of Daito City, Osaka, he joined Hanshin Tigers as the second pick in the 2019 draft from Riseisha University, and in 45 games he had a batting average of .189, 3 Home Run, and 16 RBI. While he has not been able to demonstrate his talent as a right-handed long-distance hitter, he revealed his determination to blossom in Chiba, saying, "I came here with the resolve that I would never return to Kansai. I want to make the most of (this transfer). I don't think what I've done at The Tigers was in vain. I want to make sure I put it to good use and succeed here."

His new uniform number will be "39," and he plans to train independently with DeNA's Maki during the offseason. "I want to improve my training, technique, and everything else. I'll do my best to hit double-digit Home Run," he said, setting a goal of hitting a number that would be his career high if he could achieve that. There is fierce competition for a regular position with Nishikawa, Takabe, Fujiwara, and others, but first he will sell his batting ability to manager Saburo at next spring's training camp.