Lotte announced on the 11th that they held a meeting in the afternoon at a hotel in Tokyo with Shogo Sakakura, who declared free agency from Hiroshima, with Manager Saburo also in attendance.

According to the club, they spent about an hour conveying the thoughts and philosophy of The Marines to Sakakura.

Sakakura joined Hiroshima as the 4th draft pick in 2016. In 2021, his fifth year, he reached the required number of plate appearances for the first time, recording a .315 batting average, 12 Home Runs, and 68 RBI. He became a regular player that same year, playing various positions such as first base and third base in addition to catcher, and on the offensive side, he hit a career-high 16 Home Runs in 2022. This season, he appeared in 140 games, recording a .251 batting average, 15 Home Runs, and 74 RBI.