Softbank Hawks Hawks president and acting owner Yoshimitsu Goto (63) attended an owners' meeting in Tokyo on the 16th and emphasized that they are "simply waiting" for Stanford University infielder Rintaro Sasaki (21) to join the team. hitter, who was the first overall pick in last fall's draft, was also selected by the Miami Marlins in the 8th round (235th overall) of the MLB draft. It was revealed by the 15th that he had decided to join the Marlins, but Goto insisted that they are "at a standstill."

Multiple media outlets reported on Sasaki's decision. Nevertheless, President Goto was ambiguous, saying, "I have seen the reports, but we are also obtaining information through the correct channels. We will base our decision on that information." The deadline for negotiations with the Mariners is 5 p.m. Eastern Time on the 27th (6 a.m. Japan time on the 28th), and the contract with the Hawks expires at the end of this month. An announcement of his intentions is expected in the near future, but he did not acknowledge a settlement at this point, and at the end, he smiled and repeated twice, "I'm looking forward to it."

According to the MLB official website, the going rate for a signing bonus at the 235th overall rank is $239,200 (approximately 38.7 million yen). Softbank Hawks is likely to offer the highest possible deal of 100 million yen plus 50 million yen in performance bonuses. With such a large gap between them, the choice regarding the path to the major leagues, a dream come true, is imminent.