MLB Free Agent Rumors: Next 10 Big-Time Players to Come out of the Far East

Japanese pitching sensation Yu Darvish signed with the Texas Rangers this past weekend, and it shouldn't come to anyone's surprise if this trend of Asian prospects coming to the MLB continues.

With players like Ichiro Suzuki, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Matsui already bringing their teams a lot of success over the years, it only would seem logical that teams will continue to show interest—especially if Darvish pans out.

With this season already almost here, the next class of Asian prospects is among us. Here is a look some of the big-time players that can make their way overseas.

Suk-Min Yoon

Suk-Min Yoon is a right-handed pitcher in the Korea Baseball Organization.

He currently is the starting pitcher for the Kia Tigers, and the 25-year-old is coming off of by far one of his best seasons yet.

This past year with the Tigers, he put together a record of 17-5 with an ERA of 2.45. He had three complete games, all of which were shutouts.

Through 172.1 innings, he managed to strike out 178 batters. Things are only getting better for the Korean prospect, so don't be shocked if you start hearing this name in the coming years.

Kyuji Fujikawa

One of the most dominant closers in all of baseball resides in Japan, and his name is Kyuji Fujikawa. The Hanshin Tigers' closer has been ridiculous over his career, and he will likely do just the same in the MLB.

He is 31 years old, but his career hasn't slowed down. He has a career ERA of 1.85, as well as 155 career saves.

In 2010, he appeared in 58 games. He finished that season with an ERA of 2.01 while striking out 81 batters in just 62.2 innings.

It will remain to be seen when he will make his way overseas, but once he does, he will be a great addition to any team's bullpen.

Shinnosuke Abe

One of the premier catchers in the international game, Shinnosuke Abe of the Yomiuri Giants should be looking to make his move to the MLB sooner than later.

His 2011 season was cut short, but back in 2010, he appeared in 140 games while knocking out a career-high 44 home runs. He batted .281 that season, but his power numbers were clearly improving.

His team won the Japan Series in 2009, in which he was also voted as the most valuable player of that postseason.

At 32 years old, he is running out of time. Any team that is need of adding a veteran catcher will likely have their eyes on Shinnosuke for years to come.

Yoshio Itoi

Yoshio Itoi, outfielder of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, is coming off of one of his best seasons yet.

This past year, he batted .319 with 11 home runs and 31 stolen bases. He is getting old at 30 years of age, but his production is still going at the right pace.

He also has a killer eye, being walked 59 times this past season.

It will be interesting to see how he will produce if he ever makes the transition. As a left-handed bat, he will draw comparisons to Kosuke Fukudome.

While Fukudome started out well with the Chicago Cubs, time caught up to him, and he only regressed as the seasons went on.

Yuichi Honda

Second baseman Yuichi Honda of the Fukuoaka SoftBank Hawks has been a force since entering the scene back in 2006.

This past season, he batted .305 through 144 games. While he doesn't have the power bat, with zero home runs this past year, he does provide speed on the bases. He accumulated 60 stolen bases this past year, which was most in the Pacific League of the Nippon Professional Baseball League.

At only 27 years old, Honda still has room to grow, but he could be doing the majority of that playing in the MLB soon.

Kazuki Yoshimi

While most of the hype was about Yu Darvish, pitcher Kazuki Yoshimi of the Chunichi Dragons was dominating his opponents as well.

This past season, he posted an ERA of 1.65 while having an overall record of 18-3. The side arm pitcher doesn't strike out too many, only 120 through 190.2 innings, but he definitely keeps the runs off the board.

At only 27 years old, his numbers could perhaps become even better.

It will be interesting to see the interest that he can get, as there are not too many side-arm starting pitchers that have seen a lot of long-term success in the MLB.

Seiichi Uchikawa

Another stud from the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks is first baseman/outfielder Seiichi Uchikawa.

This past season, he led all batters in the Pacific League with a batting average of .338. He also had 21 doubles, 12 home runs and 74 RBI. 

He doesn't present much of a threat on the bases, only stealing four this past year, but he is a consistent hitter that can do a lot of damage for many MLB teams.

At 29 years old, he still has many good years ahead of him. Teams can never have too many options at first base or outfield, so Uchikawa could be getting a call shortly.

Toshiya Sugiuchi

Left-handed pitcher Toshiya Sugiuchi has been around for awhile. He first debuted back in 2002 with the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks, but now finds himself with the Yomiuri Giants.

Over his career, he has played in both the 2000 and 2008 Olympics while also representing Japan in the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic.

This past season, the 31-year-old went 23-8 with a 1.94 ERA. He struck out 177 batters over 171.1 innings while also having three shutouts and seven complete games.

At this point in his career, he is still pitching lights out. While he should be making the transition soon, Sugiuchi should be another Japanese force when he hits the MLB.

Takumi Kuriyama

Takumi Kuriyama of the Saltama Selbu Lions is coming off of a great season.

The 28-year-old outfielder is coming off of a year where he batted .307 with 30 doubles, three home runs and two triples. While he doesn't have great power numbers, he knows how to get on base. He was walked 73 times this past season.

His one main issue is that the lefty still strikes out a lot. This past season, he struck 90 times. Nothing that screams look at me.

He will have to work on his consistencies at the plate, but he should be coming up on the radar in the coming years.

Masahiro Tanaka

If you thought Yu Darvish had a great season, then you should take a look at Masahiro Tanaka of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

The 23-year-old was, to say the least, lights out.

With the Eagles this past season, Tanaka went 19-5 with a 1.27 ERA. That is no typo. He also struck out 241 batters through 226.1 innings.

If he can continue to put up numbers like this next season, there is no doubt that MLB teams will be jumping all over him once he can hit the market.

Many teams will be watching to see how Darvish will translate to the professional game this season, but if he does well, then Tanaka could be in for an even bigger payday.

Jeff Chase is a featured columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.