Report: Japanese Star OF Seiya Suzuki Available in MLB Free Agency After Being Posted

Japanese baseball star Seiya Suzuki is reportedly coming to Major League Baseball next season. 

Per MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi, Suzuki is expected to be posted by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp this offseason. 

Morosi noted a formal announcement from the club will likely come after the Japan Series wraps up later this month. 

Suzuki was selected in the second round of the 2012 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. He made his professional debut the following year at the age of 19. 

The Tokyo native has a .309/.402/.542 slash line in 1,054 career games. He won three Central League Gold Glove awards in a four-season span from 2016 to '19. The 27-year-old is a five-time NPB All-Star. He led the Central League in batting average (.335) and on-base percentage (.453) during the 2019 season. 

Per Morosi, MLB teams will have 30 days from the date Hiroshima posts Suzuki to negotiate a contract. He's not subject to international signing bonus limitations because of his age. 

One MLB scout told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times in August that Suzuki is a "five-tool guy" and "the best player in Japan the last few years."

The same scout called peak AJ Pollock a fair comparison for Suzuki. Pollock's best season came in 2015 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hit .315/.367/.498 with 20 homers, 39 stolen bases and won a Gold Glove as a center fielder. 

This offseason's free-agent market isn't loaded with top-tier outfielders. Starling Marte is the head of the class, but he turned 33 years old last month. Chris Taylor and Michael Conforto are other top options who could be on the move. 

Suzuki's age and upside could land him the richest contract for an outfielder in free agency this winter.