"We already know that slugging third baseman Munetaka Murakami (NPB's Yakult Swallows) and steady right-hander Kona Takahashi (NPB's Seibu Lions) will be posted this winter. Breakout infielder Sung Mun Song (KBO's Kiwoom Heroes) is hoping to be posted for big league clubs as well. ESPN's Jeff Passan reports this morning that Yomiuri Giants third baseman Kazuma Okamoto and Seibu Lions righty Tatsuya Imai are also hoping to be posted by their clubs and make the jump to Major League Baseball."
"The hope of being posted is notable, but that also does not guarantee either player will be available to North American clubs this winter. Yakyu Cosmopolitan - a terrific source for English-speaking fans with an interest in Japanese baseball - points out that NPB's Giants are a typically anti-posting club who rarely make their stars available to MLB teams. Okamoto is the Giants' captain. The Lions are more amenable to posting players, but they've already agreed to post Takahashi."
"He's a six-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner who's thrice led NPB in home runs. He missed more than three months of the current season after injuring his elbow in a collision at first base, but he's healthy again and is batting .304/.385/.585 with 11 homers, 13 doubles, a triple and nearly as many walks (10.2%) as strikeouts (11.2%) in 196 plate appearances."
Multiple high-profile players from NPB and the KBO are pursuing MLB moves via posting or free agency. Munetaka Murakami and Kona Takahashi will be posted this winter, and Sung Mun Song hopes to be posted. Kazuma Okamoto and Tatsuya Imai are also seeking posting, though availability is not guaranteed. The Yomiuri Giants seldom post top players and Okamoto is the Giants' captain. The Seibu Lions are more open to posting but have committed to Takahashi and may be reluctant to post another rotation member; Imai becomes a true free agent after 2026. Okamoto, 29, is batting .304/.385/.585 with 11 homers in 196 plate appearances.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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