On the 3rd, the Rakuten Eagles live-streamed the press conference for Takuya Kai, who joined the Rakuten Eagles via a cash trade, on the team's official YouTube channel.

He will wear number 37, the same number Motohiro Shima wore during his time with the Rakuten Eagles. Kai explained the circumstances behind choosing number 37, saying, 'After deciding to join the Rakuten Eagles this time, GM Ishii told me he really wanted me to wear 37, and naturally I thought about it a lot myself. I personally know the weight of number 37 for the Rakuten Eagles, but I have done independent training with Shima for several years and he is a senior I respect. Since I also respect him as a person, I naturally contacted Shima and listened to what he had to say. Both Ishii and Shima told me they wanted me to wear 37 and shine, so I have decided to wear it this time.'

Kai has faced the Rakuten Eagles many times during his time with the Softbank Hawks. Regarding his impression of the Rakuten Eagles, he said, 'I have played against them many times, and while I think some things have changed during my two years in the Central League, my impression is that they have powerful players in both pitching and hitting, including emerging young players.'

During his time with the Softbank Hawks, Kai was active as a catcher representing the world of baseball, being selected for seven Golden Glove Awards, three Best Nine titles, the Tokyo Olympics Japan national baseball team, and the WBC Japan national team. He exercised his free agency rights in the 2024 off-season and transferred to The Giants. In his first year last season, he was active as the starting catcher from the opening of the season, but his opportunities to play gradually decreased, and he was sidelined by an injury late in the season, appearing in only 68 games. In his second year this season, he started the season in the minor leagues and appeared in only 13 major league games.