Nippon-Ham and Chunichi announced on the 12th that Nippon-Ham pitcher Toshihiro Sugiura will be transferred to Chunichi in a cash trade.

Sugiura commented through Nippon-Ham organization: "To all The Fighters fans, thank you so much for your support over the past nine years. The time I spent playing for my hometown team was invaluable, and the cheers from the fans that I heard on mound gave me a lot of strength. I am truly grateful to my teammates and everyone in the organization. I see this trade as an opportunity for me. I will do my best to become a valuable asset to The Dragons as soon as possible and contribute to win."

Sugiura joined Yakult as their first overall pick in the 2013 draft. He was traded to Nippon-Ham midway through the 2017 season, and in 2021 served as closer, appearing in 56 games with a record of 3 wins, 3 losses, 28 ERA, and an ERA of 2.96. So far this season, he has not made any appearances in the first team, but has appeared in 5 games in the farm league with ERA of 0.00.