Lotte pitcher Naoya Masuda attended contract renewal negotiations at Zozo on the 24th and signed for 120 million yen (estimated amount), a reduction of 80 million yen.

At the press conference, he said with a wry smile, "It's a huge pay cut. It's pretty crazy, a lot," referring to his 40% pay cut, the maximum allowable reduction. This season, his 14th year, he has 1 win, 4 losses, 5 saves and ERA 4.35 in 22 games. "It was the first time that things had gone so poorly, so I feel sorry for the team," he reflected.

With just two saves left until he hits 250, he is now in his 15th season and has already begun training in Hawaii, USA, where he is also working on weight training using equipment, something he had not done before. "I have received a lot of support from the fans over the past 14 years. I don't think they are cheering me on because of that, but I would like to achieve this and somehow let the fans know that there is a player from Lotte who has achieved 250 saves," he vowed to achieve the great record.