Nippon Professional Baseball’s Chiba Lotte Marines announced this weekend that they will “post” 23-year-old right-hander Roki Sasaki this fall, granting Japan’s next pitching phenom his desire to go to the major leagues.

The news offers MLB clubs a unique pitcher: adding a potential pitcher with years of professional experience for relative pennies. THE Texas Rangers know a good deal when they see one. They will be among Sasaki’s most interested and aggressive pursuers. And that means that over the next two months or so, fans will become better acquainted with how the mysterious – and often tweaked – publishing system works. The system now is very different, for example, from when the Rangers landed Yu Darvish in 2012.

Allow us to browse as much as possible:

How does the system work?

The system exists as a safeguard to deter MLB teams from attempting to poach talent from Japan and preserve the integrity of the NPB. Japanese players only achieve free agent status after nine years of service with the NPB. Thus, if a player wishes to leave for MLB before then, he will have to ask the Japanese team holding his rights to “post” him. A team can refuse the request, but the risk is a disgruntled and irritable player.

The system has changed dramatically since the Rangers offered a record $51,703,411 for the opportunity to trade Darvish in December 2011. At that point, there was a silent auction process with interested teams submitting bids. blind offers to the Nippon Ham Fighters. The highest bidder was granted exclusive negotiating rights with Darvish. Shipping costs were paid directly to Nippon Ham. The Rangers then signed Darvish to a six-year, $60 million contract.

How much could the publishing process cost a team?

There is no longer a tender process. Once published, the 30 teams will be able to negotiate directly with Sasaki. If this team signs him, Chiba Lotte will receive a commission equal to 25% of the guaranteed value of his contract.

Because Sasaki is not yet 25, he falls through a loophole in the assignment system. He is subject to international free agency rules, meaning his signing bonus will come from a team’s international signing pool.

The clubs are designated pools of money to be used for international free agents, primarily teenagers from Latin America. The size of the annual pool is primarily determined by market size and revenue. Usually, smaller market teams receive a little more and larger market teams receive less.

How much should the Rangers spend on Sasaki?

It depends on when Sasaki is posted. If he is assigned before December 2, which is unlikely, Rangers will not have money available to sign him since he would fall under the auspices of the 2024 pool. Rangers have spent the entire 4.652 million dollars allocated to them. At this end of the year, neither team has a significant amount of money. According to The associated pressthe Yankees, with $1.487 million, and San Francisco, with $1.247 million, are the only teams with more than $1 million.

However, if Sasaki is released after December 2 and signs on or after January 15, 2025, his signing bonus will come from the 2025 pool. The amount of these pools ranges from $5.146 million to $7.555 million. The Rangers are one of 12 teams that will have $6.261 million to spend. This tier includes Boston, the New York Yankees and Mets, and San Diego, all of whom should make strong attempts at him. The Dodgers, with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the staff, and the Giants have the smallest pools.

Teams can increase their prize pools by up to 60% of their original value by redeeming for international bonus slots money. The Rangers did this when Shohei Ohtani went through the posting system before 2018. When Ohtani ended up joining the Los Angeles Angels, the Rangers found themselves with a big pot of available pool space and used $2.8 million to sign outfielder JP Martinez. Cuba.

How long does this whole process take?

Once Sasaki is officially released, teams will have 45 days to sign him. If he is named Dec. 2, he would have until Jan. 15 — the start of the new international signing period in which teams can access their 2025 money — to sign with a team.

If he is posted before December 2, which seems unlikely, the conclusion would likely be that he has already decided to be on a team. And that would probably point strongly to the Dodgers.

Who are the main contenders for his signature?

If it isn’t already abundantly clear, money doesn’t seem to be his driving motivation. If that were the case, he’d wait until he’s 25 and hit true free agency, like Yamamoto did last year before signing a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers .

This makes the ability to win all the more important. The Dodgers seem to have all the factors that could attract them: two recent World Series titles, including the one that ended last month, a dozen consecutive playoff appearances, a clubhouse with some Japanese culture already built in. and easier access to Japan than just about anywhere in the big leagues.

Others with natural connections: San Diego (the presence of Darvish and a team full of superstars); the Yankees (supernatural desire to win and the biggest brand in professional sports); Boston (a top-10 farm system and a desire to get back into contention after missing the playoffs three years in a row); and Seattle (Japanese culture, excellent pitching staff, presence of Ichiro Suzuki).

That said, even if Sasaki is subject to international bonus governance for 2025, it will end up costing significant dollars. In all likelihood, Sasaki would be very well positioned for a long-term extension after his first season in the big leagues. These conversations, as a general rule, however, cannot be part of this negotiation.

What is the Rangers’ shot?

Much will depend on how persuasive a CEO is in his or her presentation about why his or her team is best suited. Chris Young can speak the language of a player and clearly express the vision of the championship. Bruce Bochy is a Hall of Fame manager. Besides the Dodgers, the Rangers are the most recent World Series champions.

However, they are coming off a losing season and have a number of holes to fill. They could use a lot more than Young’s oratorical skills. The club’s willingness to be aggressive in meeting these needs may impact how Sasaki interprets the vision. The Rangers aren’t the favorites, but the idea of ​​them ending up with Sasaki isn’t unrealistic.

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