Perhaps the most coveted player in baseball these days might not be able to make it onto the market. The Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani would like to play at the MLB in 2018, but the negotiations between the NPB, MLB and the MLBPA about a new posting system are threatening to fail. Now there is a deadline.
Ohtani had hired an agent for the States and his club, the Nippon Ham Fighters, announced that they would let their jewel go this winter.
The only problem is that the previous posting system, which regulates the transfer of players from the Japanese league to the MLB, will be closed on 31 December 2009. October expired. A new one is needed.
It is reported that MLB and Nippon Baseball have agreed, with the approval of Fighters, to continue the existing system for another year. This would mean that MLB teams could offer a maximum of 20 million for the right to negotiate with the player. The highest bidder should then lead exclusive negotiations – with several maximum bids, everyone who submitted the same.
However, Ohtani is only 23 years old and therefore falls under the bonus restrictions for international free agents introduced with the current CBA. Specifically, this would mean that Ohtani could receive a maximum of $3.53 million in signing bonuses this year from the Texas Rangers, who have the most money left in their pool for this signing period. The Yankees and Twins follow with a few hundred thousand dollars less.
The MLBPA therefore refuses to wave through the current system, as this would mean that the Fighters would receive significantly more money than the player, which from a trade union point of view seems unacceptable. Rather, they are looking for a new system that would guarantee the retiring Japanese club a fixed percentage of the player’s MLB contract. The Japanese would not agree with this construct, since Ohtani would only get a standard rookie contract, which would earn him a little more than 500,000 dollars for 2018.
Last Wednesday there was another round of negotiations, but no results were achieved. This meant that the MLB had to meet a deadline for the 20.11.2009. to settle the matter. At the latest then, clubs will know whether Ohtani will be released or not.
This article was published without prior view by the Major League Baseball.