Lotte announced on the 2nd that pitcher Kazuya Ojima (30) will exercise his domestic free agent rights. Through the team, he revealed his honest feelings, stating, 'I have a strong desire to hear evaluations from other teams directly and to look at myself objectively, which led to this decision.' On the other hand, he also suggested the possibility of staying with the team, saying, 'My feelings of gratitude and attachment to The Marines, who have taken care of me, are very strong. I want to carefully consider the option of staying and make a decision I won't regret.'

He joined Lotte as the third-round draft pick in 2018 from Waseda University, and in this eighth season, he recorded 6 wins and 9 losses with a 3.53 ERA in 20 games. His career totals over 172 games are 59 wins and 63 losses with a 3.60 ERA. As a valuable left-hander who can be entrusted with a spot in the starting rotation, multiple teams including the Hanshin Tigers are moving forward with investigations to acquire him.