Nippon-Ham announced on the 28th that it had reached an agreement to join the team with Kohei Arihara pitcher of the previous Softbank Hawks. Next season will be his return to his old club for the first time in six years, and he commented, "I am very happy to have a relationship with a club called Hokkaido, The Fighters, which is the place where my professional baseball life began inning. The right-hander with the most wins for two consecutive years joined Shinjo Ham, aiming for the league championship for the first time in 10 years and the best in Japan.

◆Kohei Arihara: Born August 11, 1992, in Hiroshima City. Age 33. He participated in Koshien twice while attending Koryo High School, reaching the semi-finals in his third year. He joined Nippon-Ham in 2014 as the first overall pick in the draft after graduating from Waseda University, and was named Rookie of the Year in 2015. He recorded 60 wins in six years, and in 2021 and 2022, he pitched in 15 games for the Texas Rangers in the US, with a record of 3 wins and 7 losses and ERA of 7.57. He has played for Softbank Hawks since 2023. In his NPB career, he has a record of 98 wins and 71 losses in 198 games, ERA 3.32. He was the league's leading pitcher in wins in 2019, 2024, and 2025. 190 cm, 100 kg. Right-handed pitcher, right-handed batter.