catcher Takuya Kai (33), who was traded from The Giants to Rakuten Eagles Golden Eagles in a cash deal, held an introductory press conference on the 3rd at Rakuten Eagles Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi in Sendai City.

This is the first time he has appeared in the crimson red uniform. His number is '37', which was worn by Motohiro Shima (currently the Chunichi head coach), who supported the team's 2013 championship victory. Having participated in joint off-season training with Shima, he tightened his expression and said, 'He is a senior I respect as a person. I feel the weight of this number.' He contacted Shima by phone regarding the 'inheritance' of the number and was encouraged with the words, 'I want you to shine once again with number 37.'

"I'm excited. I want to play baseball soon. I want to run around the ground," he said, his comments still overflowing with youthfulness. As if unable to be the closer for those feelings, he made a surprise appearance on the ground during autumn practice before the press conference. When he took the microphone and bowed, saying, "I look forward to working with you," a loud round of applause broke out from the stands.

Reflecting on his two years with The Giants, he said, "I had many experiences and encounters." On the other hand, he also felt regret, saying, "We couldn't win it all." As General Manager Ishii evaluated him as having a "winner's mentality," he is expected to rebuild the last-place team as the cornerstone of the defense. "Both the team and I are hungry for victory. I want to play baseball until the very end, all the way to the Japan Series. I will do whatever it takes to win the championship," he declared firmly.