 On 25 November at a hotel within Yokohama city, Shūhei signed a provisional contract worth 12 million yen per year with a sign-on bonus of 100 million yen.This became the highest wage ever given to a high schooler in Chunichi history.Takahashi was given the number 31, which was, up until 2009, worn by first-baseman Masahiko Morino.