Major League Baseball

Source: New posting system deal with Nippon Pro Baseball 'very close'

Published Dec. 5, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Ken Rosenthal

A deal with the Japanese Nippon Pro Baseball league on a new posting system is "very close," a source tells FOX Sports MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal.

Under the proposed deal, MLB clubs must be willing to pay the Japanese player's former team a maximum of $20 million for the rights to negotiate a contract. If multiple teams are willing to pay the negotiating fee, the player can negotiate with all of them. The team that signs the player would be the only one that would have to pay the fee.

As in the past, only the player's salary would be counted against the luxury tax, not the posting fee. Major League Baseball expects star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka and other players will still be posted. If this did not occur, Japanese players might demand earlier free agency. Currently, Japanese players must wait nine years.

With less money exempt from the luxury-tax calculations, the new system is not good news for the New York Yankees, who want Tanaka but are trying to stay under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold for 2014.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball