Former The Giants pitcher Rei Takahashi (30), who signed a development player contract with Seibu Lions for next season, appeared at a talk show hosted by Professional Event Co., Ltd. in Tokyo on the 23rd, along with Bando, who was in the same year as him at Softbank Hawks and will be a development player for The Giants next season.
During the Q&A session, a fan asked Takahashi, "What has made you happiest recently outside of baseball?" to which he immediately replied, "I guess it's being picked up by Seibu Lions as a development player!" At the end of the event, he addressed the gathered fans, saying, "I thought that the minimum requirement was to be promoted to the regular team. Seibu Lions has given me another chance, so if I'm not promoted to the regular team by July 31st, I'll have missed my chance. I will definitely be promoted to the regular team next year, and I will definitely achieve my goals of 30 appearances as reliever and five wins as a starter."
Takahashi joined Softbank Hawks as the second pick in the 2017 draft from Senshu University and won the Rookie of the Year award in 2019. He transferred to The Giants in the offseason of 2023 and was in the opening rotation in 2024, but did not make an appearance in the first team this season and was notified that he was no longer needed.
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