It was confirmed on the 25th that contract negotiations for Orix Buffaloes outfielder Yutaro Sugimoto (34) will carry over into the new year. This season, he cleared the required number of plate appearances for the first time in four years, and his 16 Home Run and OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .758 were the best on the team. In preliminary negotiations, he is reportedly being offered an increase of around 10 million yen from his current annual salary of 67 million yen, and he emphasized, "I think it's better to take the time to go through the negotiations rather than signing a contract without both of us being satisfied."

Sugimoto is the only player on the team whose contract has not yet been renewed. Among the other homegrown veteran fielder, Nakagawa has signed a contract for 100 million yen, a 30 million yen increase, and Tongu has also signed for 85 million yen, a 15 million yen increase. "I'm confident about that, or rather, I worked hard," he said, having recorded double-digit Home Run for five consecutive years since winning Home Run title in 2021, and also ranking second on the team with 53 RBI and 48 runs scored. On this day, he finished his individual training for the year in Maishima, Osaka, and expressed his hope that "if possible, I would like to sign a contract as soon as possible so that I can do my individual training with peace of mind."