Japan's Triple Crown slugger Teruaki Sato and two star pitchers are posted to MLB, racing a likely lockout
AP lists who is available, their numbers, how the posting fee works and how a Dec. 1 lockout could freeze signings.
Hanshin Tigers third baseman Teruaki Sato, 27, who won the Central League Triple Crown this year (.306, 39 homers, 106 RBIs), entered Major League Baseball's posting system along with pitchers Kaima Taira of the Seibu Lions and Hiromi Itoh of the Nippon-Ham Fighters, AP reported on Nov. 2. They can sign with any MLB team from Monday, Nov. 2, until Dec. 16.
AP says Taira led the Japanese majors with a 1.36 ERA this year after moving back into the rotation, and Itoh won the 2025 Sawamura Award, Japan's version of the Cy Young. South Korean infielder Si-Hwan Roh of the Hanwha Eagles was also posted, with a 30-day window.
The timing matters: AP reports MLB is likely to lock out the players' union when the labor deal expires Dec. 1, and during the 2021-22 lockout posted players' signing windows were frozen until a deal was reached. The Japanese club gets a fee of 20% of the first $25 million of a contract.
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Posting system
After exploring Japanese players Teruaki Sato, Kaima Taira and Hiromi Itoh enter MLB posting system, how Japanese stars reach MLB is explained in Posting system.
The posting system governs how players move from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB; it grew out of disputes in the late 1990s when NPB teams lost stars such as Hideo Nomo without compensation.
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