It was announced on the 10th that Softbank Hawks catcher Hiroki Minei (35) will be transferred to DeNA via a free trade. This marks his return after five years to his former team, where he spent nine years from his professional debut in 2014 until 2022.

Minei exercised his domestic FA rights in the off-season of 2022 and transferred to the Softbank Hawks. This season, his 13th year as a professional, he had no first-team appearances, but he continued to prepare diligently in the farm system. His lead, which stays close to the pitcher, and his unexpected batting skills remain intact. In a game against the Orix Buffaloes on May 11th last year (Kyocera Dome), he recorded two Home Runs and seven RBIs in a single game, both of which were personal firsts.

Among the Softbank Hawks' catcher group, Yu Yamamoto, who joined via trade from DeNA in May, and Umino have been solid. Minei had been in a difficult position. Higashihama, who formed a battery with him at Okinawa Shogaku and Asia University, also moved to Hiroshima via a free trade on the 6th. There are currently 60 players on the 70-man roster, and 9 players were selected in the October draft.

On the DeNA side, Matsuo and Furuichi have been growing while sharing the starting catcher duties. Both are young, aged 22 and 24 respectively, and it appears the team intended to thicken the depth of their catcher rotation regardless of the status of Tobashira, who announced his exercise of international free agency rights on the 8th. In 2022, he played in a career-high 93 games. With a gentle personality, he is deeply trusted by his teammates, and key players like Azuma, Maki, and Sano continue to perform well. Although they advanced to the Japan Series from third place in the Central League, their ultimate goal remains a championship for the first time since 1998. This looks to be a valuable veteran reinforcement.

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The following is Minei's comment.

The Hawks are a truly high-level and solid team, and the players, manager, coaches, and staff were all kind and always treated me well. These past four years have been a truly fulfilling time.

Speaking of my memories with The Hawks, the game that stands out is the one in my first year after transferring, during the Climax Series against the Chiba Lotte Marines, where we suffered a come-from-behind walk-off loss. I felt truly frustrated that I couldn't help the team, and it was a game that made me feel strongly that I needed to improve my level even more. Regarding The BayStars, the team I will be returning to, I watched them in the Japan Series and feel that their team unity and momentum have increased even further. I want to show how much I have grown during my four years with The Hawks and work hard to contribute to The BayStars' win from now on.

To all the fans of The Hawks, I am filled with gratitude for your warm support even during the times I had few opportunities to play. It was a short period, but thank you very much.

Hiroki Minei. Born June 4, 1991, in Okinawa Prefecture. 35 years old. At Okinawa Shogaku and Asia University, he formed a battery with Higashihama (Hiroshima), who was one year his senior. He won the 2008 Spring Koshien in high school and was the runner-up in the 2012 All Japan University Baseball Championship in university. He joined DeNA as the 3rd draft pick in 2013. After the 2022 season, he exercised his domestic free agent rights and moved to the Softbank Hawks. His career stats over 583 games are a .220 batting average, 27 Home Runs, and 154 RBI. Right-handed thrower and batter. 176 cm, 87 kg. Annual salary is 75 million yen (estimated).