Softbank Hawks will hold their first intrasquad game at their Miyazaki training camp on the 14th. Yanagita, Yamakawa, and Imamiya from the S group, whose training was left to their own devices, will join the team. For the young players, it will be necessary to make an impression to secure a spot on the first team, but the final selection will likely take place from March onwards. Manager Kokubo explained, "Since the Samurai Japan players will be leaving, we need to have this many players to run the open games. Yanagita and Yamakawa aren't playing the full season, after all. I think we'll probably stick with a number of players close to what we have now."

For the WBC, Kondo, Shuto, Makihara, and Matsumoto Yu were selected as candidates for Japan, Moinelo for Cuba, Downs for Nicaragua, Almenta for Hsu Jo-Hsi, and Hsu Chun-Wei Chang and Chang Junwei for Taiwan. The competition for a spot on the first team will begin in earnest after these nine players return to their respective teams in March.