It was decided on the 26th that contract renewal negotiations for Orix Buffaloes outfielder Yutaro Sugimoto will take place on the 28th. In 2013, he cleared the required number of at-bats for the first time in four years, hitting 16 Home Run and leading the team with an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .758. In the preliminary negotiations, he was offered a salary increase of around 10 million yen from his current 67 million yen salary, and Sugimoto emphasized, "I think it's better to take time to do that than to sign a contract without mutual agreement."

He is the only player on the team whose contract has not yet been renewed and will enter the new year. Fellow home-grown center fielder Nakagawa and Tonmiya have signed for an annual salary of 100 million yen, an increase of 30 million yen, and Tonmiya has also signed for an annual salary of 85 million yen, an increase of 15 million yen. Since winning Home Run title in 2021, he has hit double-digit Home Run for five consecutive years, and his 53 RBI and 48 runs scored are second on the team. Negotiations will take place just before the Miyazaki training camp begins on February 1st.