Tanaka says he wants to pursue career in MLB

Tachibana said Rakuten was trying to persuade its star pitcher to stay with the team for 2014.“We told him he is very important to us and we’d like him to stay,” Tachibana said.

They can get paid $20 million at most, so why would they let him go? MLB should have raised the posting fee higher than what most Japanese teams usually offer to star players. Tanaka's starting contract could have been higher than anything he could ever earn in a career in Japan.

The new posting system came about after some MLB teams objected that only the richest clubs could afford to bid on top players.

I don't think the $20 million fee cap will help the poorer clubs regardless. Sure, the fee cap will get poorer teams in the running to negotiate with the player, but if a richer team (also paying the max $20 million fee) can offer the player a $100 million contract while the poorer team can only offer a $50 million contract, how's that any different? In the end, richer teams still have the advantage.

The losers are the NPB teams who won't get more than $20 million, while the big winners are the posted NPB players who could now negotiate like a free agent with multiple eligible teams for the best offer.

Or the whole system could be a loser if every NPB team decides against posting their top-notch players because the max fee is too low for them. So, the only NPB players posted will be those not worth greater than $20 million to the team.

The sadness of the NPB to not take this as a positive for all is beyond me. They should be promoting the talent here and maybe trying to get scouts and sports' networks interested in the NPB.

That fact that he is being held for ransom is ridiculous. Could you imagine other companies trying to do this with their workers? "No we're not letting you quit - sorry. But since you want to leave we'd like you to stay. Okay now back to work."

Tanaka should be creative and simply retire from NPB. He won his title, now test out your abilities in the majors. He'll get way more cash and never have to worry about the hostage system here again.

Tanaka should be creative and simply retire from NPB. He won his title, now test out your abilities in the majors. He'll get way more cash and never have to worry about the hostage system here again.

After Nomo and Alfonso Soriano used the retirement loophole, MLB and NPB created the previous posting system with an agreement that no MLB team would hire an NPB player who "retired" from an existing contract anymore

That fact that he is being held for ransom is ridiculous. Could you imagine other companies trying to do this with their workers? "No we're not letting you quit - sorry. But since you want to leave we'd like you to stay. Okay now back to work."

Sadly, this is not an uncommon conversation in Japan. I can imagine it very well - I've heard it from many, many friends here in Japan who've "attempted" to quit their jobs.

One interesting fact not mentioned in the article. I read that of the 12 "japan league" teams all voted FOR the new agreement with the exception of the eagles. Also, the eagles are the only team with a player wanting to post. Seems to me the other teams in the japan league didnt want the eagles to reap a huge posting fee.

20 million is still a lot of money just to negotiate with a player. i think this really benefits the athletes because now there will be a bidding war once teams meet the financial threshold. before there was no incentive for MLB teams to give max contracts to japanese athletes. getting darvish for 56 million is a bargain compared to what other pitchers are making. in the end, it should be the athletes making the money and not the japanese teams.

Go Ma-kun ! Just please, not the Yankees !

Go Ma-kun ! Just please, not the Yankees !

If the Yanks offer him the best contract, could you blame him?

Anyways, if the NPB league agreed to this and was not coerced, then they can't complain that they're getting only $20 million max per post. Maybe it is to their benefit that there's a fee cap, such that they can turn around and say that $20 million is too low to post their top-notch players, so now they can use that excuse to not post their best players and keep players for the whole 9 years of the rookie contract.

The greed of the NPB is astounding. What a disgrace. This man wants to achieve his dream, and he's not allowed because his club can't get enough money.

The greed of the NPB is astounding. What a disgrace.

He's under team control for 2 more years! I suppose you think contracts and agreements mean nothing?

Obvious consequence: NPB teams will no longer be swayed by the posting fee, so they'll be more inclined to hold onto their star players. They'll also be less inclined to offer big contracts, because there's nowhere else for the players to go.

Unintended consequence: the best young players will bypass NPB altogether and declare themselves eligible for the MLB draft. Why allow themselves to be essentially locked in to Japanese baseball if the Majors are their ultimate goal?

The greed of the NPB is astounding. What a disgrace. This man wants to achieve his dream, and he's not allowed because his club can't get enough money.

The man is not a "free agent" under NPB rules. Hence, this becomes a trade per se where it involves cash considerations.

That fact that he is being held for ransom is ridiculous. Could you imagine other companies trying to do this with their workers? "No we're not letting you quit - sorry. But since you want to leave we'd like you to stay. Okay now back to work."

Yes, I can imagine it as that's pretty much how it works in MLB land as well. If you are drafted you can be 'held' (more or less) for up to 6 years before being able to declare free agency. During that time you won't be making the 'big bucks', even if you are a Mike Trout (or any number of other examples).