It was revealed on the 12th that Softbank Hawks pitcher Darwinzon Hernández (29) intends to aim for a return to the Major Leagues for the first time in five years. At the MLB General Managers' Meetings held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Yoshinobu Hasegawa, the Head of Asia baseball Operations for the major agency 'Octagon' which represents the player, made the statement.

In his fourth year in Japan this season, he made 45 appearances with 18 holds and an ERA of 1.48. Hasegawa revealed that the player is expected to become a free agent from the team, explaining the market trends in American baseball by stating, "Left-handed relievers are in very high demand."