While it is by no means settled,
Shohei Otani of the
Nippon Ham Fighters might be a step closer to playing major league baseball in the USA. The 23-year-old Otani selected an agency to represent him in any negotiations (CAA)
and continues to signal that he wants to be in the bigs now—meaning the 2018 season. This, despite the fact that he would reap a king's ransom if he just
waited until after the 2019 season. Due to MLB's international player transfer rules (which have expired and are in need of re-negotiation), he could make about $10 million this season—not counting mega-endorsement deals. Waiting until 2020, however, could net him $200-$300 million. There's also the unique quality that Otani possesses—he is an elite pitcher
and hitter (and seems to want to do
both in an MLB career). Nobody
really knows what he truly wants (e.g, would an AL team with a DH be a better fit?; would he prefer a West Coast team?) It's all a big mystery—stay tuned!
