Overview
- Reports say the 33-year-old right-hander has reached an agreement to join his former club, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
- The move would bring him back for his first season with Nippon-Ham since 2020, ending a six-season absence.
- He was listed as a free-contract player after his SoftBank deal rather than entering standard free agency.
- Arihara led the league in wins in consecutive seasons with SoftBank and totaled 38 victories over three years, helping this season's championship run.
- Chunichi reports his 2023 SoftBank contract included a clause leading to free-contract status at expiry, and he had explored a potential return to the United States.