Four Japanese Stars Posted for MLB Pursuit

Japanese infielders Kazuma Okamoto and Munetaka Murakami, along with pitchers Kona Takahashi and Tatsuya Imai, have been posted by their Nippon Professional Baseball clubs, making them available to Major League Baseball teams as free agents through early January. Okamoto and Takahashi entered the posting system this week, with their 45-day negotiation windows opening Friday at 8 a.m. ET and closing January 4 at 5 p.m. ET. Murakami's window expires December 22, while Imai's runs through January 2.

The postings continue a trend of high-profile talent crossing from Japan to MLB, following stars like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Under the agreement between MLB and NPB, teams can negotiate contracts directly with the players during the window. If a deal is reached, the signing club pays a release fee to the player's NPB team: 20 percent of the first $25 million of the contract value, including bonuses and options; 17.5 percent of the next $25 million; and 15 percent of amounts over $50 million. An additional 15 percent applies to earned bonuses, escalators and exercised options. Players who go unsigned return to their original clubs.

Okamoto, a 29-year-old corner infielder...