Japanese Stars Okamoto and takahashi Available to MLB Teams
NEW YORK – Major League Baseball teams will have the opportunity to sign Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto and pitcher Kona Takahashi, as both players have been posted by their respective clubs and are now free to negotiate with MLB franchises. The posting period for both players begins Friday and extends through January 4.
Okamoto, a 29-year-old corner infielder, played for the Central League’s Yomiuri Giants this year, batting .327 with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs in 69 games. His season was interrupted by a left elbow injury sustained May 6 during a collision with Takumu Nakano of the Hanshin Tigers, keeping him sidelined until August 16. A six-time All-Star, Okamoto boasts a career .277 average with 248 home runs and 717 RBIs across 11 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, leading the central League in home runs in 2020, 2021, and 2023. He notably homered against Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, contributing to Japan’s 3-2 victory over the United States.
Takahashi, a right-handed pitcher turning 29 on February 3, recorded an 8-9 record with a 3.04 ERA for the Pacific League’s Seibu Lions in 2024, striking out 88 and walking 41 in 148 innings pitched.He followed a 2023 season where he went 0-11 with a 3.87 ERA, after achieving a 22-16 record over the previous two seasons. Across 11 seasons with the lions, Takahashi has a career record of 73-77 with a 3.39 ERA.
MLB’s posting system with Nippon Professional Baseball dictates that the posting fee will be 20% of the first $25 million of any major league contract offered, including earned bonuses and options. This percentage decreases to 17.5% for the next $25 million and 15% for any amount exceeding $50 million. An additional supplemental fee of 15% will apply to any earned bonuses, salary escalators, and exercised options.
