The Hiroshima Carp are expected to submit outfielder Seiya Suzuki to the “posting system” this offseason, enabling him to make the leap to Major League Baseball, according to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi.
Suzuki, a five-time All-Star who recently turned 27 years old, is widely considered to be one of the top players in Nippon Professional Baseball. This season, he hit .319/.436/.640 with 38 home runs, nine stolen bases (on 13 attempts), and more walks than strikeouts. For his career, he’s batted .315/.415/.571.
Last summer, CBS Sports named Suzuki as NPB’s top player worth watching:
[Suzuki has] a well-rounded game. He has one of the most discerning eyes in the league, and he’s topped 25 home runs in each of the past four seasons. Defensively, he has a strong arm that serves as a reminder that he pitched as a youngster. He’s tallied 24 assists since 2017; for comparison’s sake, Bryce Harper led big-league right fielders in that category last season, and he has 22 assists over the same timeframe.
Suzuki’s track record and youth would likely make him the top free-agent outfielder on most MLB teams‘ wishlists.
The posting system is best thought of as a transfer portal that enables international professionals to join MLB‘s ranks. Teams, like the Carp, “submit” their players in exchange for receiving a financial cut based on the contract the player signs. The system has different rules for players who are under the age of 25, or who have fewer than six years of professional service time. (Those rules don’t apply to Suzuki.)
After Suzuki’s services are officially “posted,” MLB teams will have 30 days to reach an agreement with him. It’s only then that the Carp will receive their cut. As Morosi explained: “Under the current MLB-NPB transfer agreement, the Carp would receive a release fee equal to 20% of the first $25 million in guaranteed contract value, plus 17.5% of the next $25 million, plus 15% of any amount beyond $50 million.”
The Carp aren’t expected to submit Suzuki to the posting system until after the Japan Series ends, which will be in late November. In other words, the Suzuki sweepstakes won’t have a resolution until December at the earliest.
