Shun Yamaguchi to Be Posted for MLB Teams by Japan's Yomiuri Giants

Yomiuri Giants pitcher Shun Yamaguchi intends to join major league baseball this offseason, according to the Japan Times (h/t Mike Axisa of CBS Sports). 

"I will take a shot at my dream of playing in the majors. I'd like to express my appreciation to Yomiuri Giants officials, manager Mr. (Tatsunori) Hara, my coaches, teammates and fans for the past three years," Yamaguchi said Monday. "I will work even harder as I pursue a new challenge."

The 32-year-old will be available through the league's posting system, giving him an opportunity to negotiate a contract with any team while Yomiuri would receive a transfer fee based on a percentage of the new deal.

It will be the first time the Yomiuri Giants will post a player for the MLB.

Yamaguchi has spent 14 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, including his first 11 years with Yokohama. During that stretch, he served a variety of roles from middle reliever, closer and then eventually transforming into a starter.

He has mostly been a starter since joining Yomiuri and is coming off one of the best years of his career in 2019, producing a 16-4 record in 28 appearances to go with a 2.78 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 181 innings.

However, he had a 3.69 ERA in 2018 and has been relatively inconsistent over the course of his career.

According to Jim Allen, Yamaguchi will likely be a "back-of-the-rotation starter or a bullpen guy."