Rakuten Eagles Eagles manager Hajime Miki (48) has unveiled a plan for next season's batting lineup that will see a change of cleanup hitter.

The player who started the most starting line-up fourth this season was Voit, who joined the team in June and hit a team-high 13 home runs, with 35 games. Following him were Franco, who left the team at the end of the season, with 26 games, and Kurokawa, who, although he didn't reach the required number of plate appearances, still managed a batting average of .299, with 24 games. "The image of a cleanup hitter is someone who can hit for power, like Voit, but if having a 'fourth batter' is good for the team, then that's also an option," he said, suggesting that the lineup can be changed flexibly depending on the opposing pitcher and other factors.

On the other hand, he welcomes the intensification of competition within the team, saying, "If they are conscious of competing for the number four position, that would be nice." With many candidates in addition to Voit and Kurokawa, such as Asamura, second-year player Gonzalez, and former Twins player McCusker, whose acquisition was announced on the 14th of this month, Manager Miki also expressed his hope for a revitalized batting lineup through a synergistic effect, saying, "I hope that everyone will be conscious of various things as they work."