Hiroki Minei Returns to DeNA in No-Cost Trade From SoftBank

Hiroki Minei is returning to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars after four seasons with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, giving DeNA an experienced catcher at a moment of uncertainty behind the plate.

DeNA announced Tuesday that it acquired the 35-year-old in a no-cost trade. Minei will wear No. 99, and the club plans to introduce him at a public presentation in Yokohama on November 12.

• Player: Hiroki Minei, catcher
• Move: Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to Yokohama DeNA BayStars
• Trade terms: No compensation
• New number: 99
• Career: 583 NPB games, 27 home runs and 154 RBIs

Minei returns where his NPB career began

Minei spent his first nine professional seasons with DeNA after the BayStars selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft. He appeared in a career-high 93 games in 2022, then exercised domestic free-agent rights and signed a four-year contract with SoftBank.

His role with the Hawks varied sharply. Minei played 44 games in 2023 and only four in 2024 before rebounding to 63 appearances in 2025, when he hit .224 with four home runs and 19 RBIs. He did not appear in a first-team game in 2026, instead batting .183 with one homer and 11 RBIs across 57 Western League games.

Across 13 NPB seasons, Minei owns a .220 career average with 27 home runs and 154 RBIs in 583 games. His value to DeNA now is less about offensive upside than familiarity, receiving experience and depth at a premium defensive position.

DeNA moves quickly amid catching uncertainty

The reunion comes as DeNA reshapes its catching group. Veteran Yasuyuki Tobashira was officially listed among NPB’s overseas free agents this week, while the BayStars sent catcher Yudai Yamamoto to SoftBank during the 2026 season.

Young catchers have gained opportunities in Yokohama, but Minei gives the club a veteran who already understands the organization and the demands of handling a Central League pitching staff. He also caught Shota Imanaga’s no-hitter in 2022, one of the defining games of his first stint with the BayStars.

SoftBank, meanwhile, clears a roster spot after Minei finished the season outside the first-team catching picture. He leaves the Hawks after 111 regular-season appearances over four years.

A familiar uniform, a different role

Minei’s return is not a reset to the position he held when he left. DeNA has changed since 2022, and he will need to earn playing time in a younger catching group. The trade does, however, give both sides a clear fit: SoftBank moves a veteran without a first-team role, while DeNA restores experienced depth without surrendering a player or transfer fee.

For Minei, the move opens a third chapter of his career in the same place the first one began.