The latest wave of talent from the Pacific Rim is one step closer to MLB.
Teruaki Sato, Kaima Taira, Hiromi Itoh and Si-Hwan Roh have all been made available via the posting process as of Sunday, with negotiations to begin Monday, according to multiple reports.
All 30 MLB clubs have 45 days to negotiate with a player after they are posted from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, and 30 days from Korea's KBO. If no agreement is reached within that timeframe, the player returns to his NPB or KBO club for the upcoming season and cannot be posted again until the following off-season.
Sato, a 27-year-old third baseman and outfielder, is the most sought-after of the group. He hit 39 homers, drove in 106 runs, and had a .306 average and .991 OPS in 143 games for the Hanshin Tigers last season.
Those numbers made the left-handed hitter the ninth triple crown winner in NPB history.
Taira will also be an enticing option for major league clubs. The diminutive right-hander stands just five-foot-eight but used his high-90s fastball to lead NPB with a 1.36 ERA last season.
The 26-year-old struck out 141 batters and walked 45 over 146 innings with the Saitama Seibu Lions.
Meanwhile, Itoh and Roh offer teams valuable depth options.
Itoh, 29, had a 3.18 ERA with 159 strikeouts and 32 walks over 172.2 innings for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He won the Sawamura Award, NBP's equivalent of the Cy Young, in 2025 after pitching to a 2.52 ERA.
Roh, 25, is also a primary third baseman and had 29 home runs, 96 RBIs and a .865 OPS last season with the KBO's Hanwha Eagles.
MLB teams must pay a posting fee to NPB and KBO teams for players made available under the leagues' agreement.
The cost is 20 per cent of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5 per cent of the next $25 million and 15 per cent of any amount over $50 million. There is an additional fee of 15 per cent for any bonuses and options.
