Softbank Hawks On August 24, Koya Fujii pitcher held contract renewal negotiations at the team's office at the Mizuho Pay Dome and signed for an annual salary of 120 million yen, an increase of 50 million yen. ERA The right-hander, who was suspended by Hiroshima in 2008 and blossomed after a brief stint in an independent league, said, "It was all my fault that I was suspended, but there are players who will be suspended in the future. However, it is not a signpost that I can do it again, but I have been hoping to become such a player. I am happy about that," he said proudly.

He also made a request to the team regarding the evaluation criteria for relief pitchers. Taking into account the recent trend of pitching less in order to avoid excessive pitching, he said, "I played 51 games in the first team in a year. The hurdle of 50 games is higher than before. I feel that the value is changing."