TOKYO — The Hanshin Tigers announced Monday that they have agreed to let star slugger Teruaki Sato pursue a move to Major League Baseball through the posting system during the midseason break.
Sato, who won the Triple Crown (batting average, RBIs and home runs) in Nippon Professional Baseball, would be a headline name on the international market if negotiations with MLB clubs go smoothly.
Under the posting system, Hanshin will formally allow Sato to negotiate with MLB teams within a set window; if a deal is reached, the Japanese club will receive a corresponding transfer fee.
The announcement comes as top Japanese players attract growing interest from MLB clubs, and Sato — with his outstanding domestic record — is seen as one of the potential faces of this wave of transfers.
Details on when negotiations will open and the specific fee have not been announced.
