MLBPA Extends Deadline for Posting Agreements as Shohei Ohtani Remains Unsigned

The Major League Baseball Players Association announced on Monday "it has agreed to a 24-hour extension for a new posting agreement to be reached between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball. The deadline has been extended to 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 21."

The move is notable because Japanese star Shohei Ohtani remains unsigned. 

Bill Baer of NBC Sports noted the MLBPA was challenging the Nippon Professional Baseball posting system. Ohtani would receive a signing bonus between $300,000 and $3.53 million if he came to MLB this offseason, while the Nippon Ham Fighters (his team) would see $20 million for posting him.

This news comes after Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported NPB officials were working to either come to a new posting agreement or extend the deadline before 8 p.m. ET Monday.

R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports suggested "this would seem like a good sign" when discussing the agreement to extend the deadline. He figured such a move wouldn't be done if the sides weren't at least close enough to consider additional time worthwhile.

Ohtani is a two-way player who has power at the plate and impressive stuff as a pitcher. Based on his talent and potential alone, he would likely land a massive contract on the open market with MLB teams bidding against each other, but this is a unique case since he is only 23 years old.

Mike Oz of Yahoo Sports explained players who are not over the age of 25 are subject to the international bonus pool money restrictions under the current collective bargaining agreement.

"He wants to prove himself at 23, so teams have to treat him the same way they would a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic," Oz wrote. "He'll get a signing bonus and the same standard contract any MLB draft pick or international free agent would."

While his immediate future is still hanging in the balance as the MLBPA challenges the posting system, Ohtani figures to immediately bolster the pennant chances of whichever team ultimately signs him—assuming he eventually lands in MLB.

Dayn Perry of CBS Sports noted he slashed .286/.358/.500 during the last five seasons and features "a devastating slider" and "nasty splitter" to go with a fastball that reaches 100 mph as a pitcher.