It was revealed on the 12th that the Seibu Lions are conducting a survey to acquire Hiroshima's Shogo Sakakura (28), a catcher who obtained domestic free agent rights this season. In his 10th professional season this year, he appeared in 140 games with a .251 batting average, 15 Home Runs, and 74 RBIs. He is a strong-armed, heavy-hitting catcher who was selected for Samurai Japan in 2023 and 2024, and the team is making preparations in case he declares his free agency.

In the team, Kojima, who joined as a first-round draft pick from Meiji University in 2025, played 99 games this season as the primary catcher. In addition to Kojima, Yu Koga, whose batting is an asset, and Tsuge, who has a reputation for his game-calling, remained with the first squad throughout the year. However, all three are still in their 20s and in the middle of their development. Furthermore, in the 2025 off-season, the team signed Nomura, who had been registered as an infielder, to a developmental contract as a catcher, highlighting the clear lack of depth in the catcher corps.

After the game that day, Team President Tsuyoshi Okumura (59) spoke about reinforcements for this off-season, stating, 'From here on, I want to communicate thoroughly with the management staff based on our reflections from this year and hold discussions.' Lotte has also launched an investigation into acquiring Sakakura, and attention is focused on their movements.