Two routes to MLB: posting vs. international free agency
| Posting system | International (overseas) FA | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | The NPB club (its consent is required; the player cannot force it) | The player (the right is earned automatically by service time) |
| Earliest timing | Any offseason the club agrees to file | After 9 accumulated seasons (145 registered days = 1 season) |
| Fee to the NPB club | Release fee paid by the signing MLB club (tiers below) | None |
| If no MLB contract is signed | No fee is paid and the player stays with his NPB club | The player can simply remain with (or re-sign with) his club |
A third, narrower path also exists: players released by their NPB clubs can sign with MLB teams freely, often on minor league deals. See the article "The Evolution of Player Movement from NPB to MLB" and the glossary entry for the posting system.
How the posting release fee works (current agreement as of 2026)
Under the NPB-MLB posting agreement in force since late 2018, the release fee is calculated from the guaranteed value of the player's MLB contract: 20% of the first $25 million, 17.5% of the next $25 million, and 15% of any amount above $50 million. For minor league contracts the fee is 25% of the signing bonus, and supplemental fees apply when bonuses, options or escalators are later triggered. A posted player has a 45-day window to negotiate with all 30 MLB clubs; if he does not sign, no fee is paid and he returns to his NPB club.
| Reported deal | Guaranteed value | Reported release fee | Tier arithmetic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Munetaka Murakami → White Sox (Dec 2025) | $34M / 2 yrs | $6,575,000 | 20% × $25M + 17.5% × $9M |
| Kazuma Okamoto → Blue Jays (Jan 2026) | $60M / 4 yrs | $10,875,000 | $5M + $4.375M + 15% × $10M |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto → Dodgers (Dec 2023) | $325M / 12 yrs | $50,625,000 | $5M + $4.375M + 15% × $275M |
Each reported fee matches the published tier formula exactly. A documented example of the negotiation window: Tatsuya Imai's posting was completed on November 19, 2025, with a deadline of January 2, 2026, 5 p.m. ET (Nishinippon Sports).
International FA: the nine-season rule
Per NPB's official explanation of the free agency system, a season counts toward FA rights when a player spends 145 days or more on the active roster (出場選手登録) during the championship season; shorter seasons are combined until they add up to 145 days. Domestic FA rights come after 8 accumulated seasons (7 for college and corporate-league players drafted in 2007 or later), while overseas (international) FA rights require 9 seasons for everyone. A player who has exercised FA rights once needs 4 more seasons to regain them, and injury-related special measures can add days. Because NPB does not publish each player's running total, outside estimates can only be built from public records, which is exactly what the player pages below do, always labeled as estimates. See the glossary entries for the free agency system and free agents.
The 2025-26 posting class: what actually happened
| Player | From → To | Reported contract | Reported fee | NPB release notice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munetaka Murakami (IF) | Yakult → Chicago White Sox | 2 yrs, $34M (Dec 21, 2025) | $6,575,000 | Jan 9, 2026 |
| Kazuma Okamoto (IF) | Yomiuri → Toronto Blue Jays | 4 yrs, $60M (Jan 2026) | $10,875,000 | Jan 19, 2026 |
| Tatsuya Imai (P) | Seibu → Houston Astros | 3 yrs, $54M (Jan 2, 2026) | — | Jan 20, 2026 |
| Kona Takahashi (P) | Seibu (went unsigned) | Re-signed with Seibu (Jan 4, 2026) | No fee (unsigned) | Not listed (no transfer) |
Three of the four posted players signed MLB contracts; Kona Takahashi received offers (three clubs, according to Full-Count citing MLB.com), but chose to return to Seibu, illustrating that posting guarantees a negotiation, not a move. Imai's release fee was not part of the announcements we verified, so it is omitted here.
A short history of the posting system
The posting system was created by the 1998 Japan-US player contract agreement, drawn up after the disputes surrounding Hideo Nomo's and Hideki Irabu's moves. Ichiro Suzuki became its first superstar case in 2000, when the Mariners won his rights with a $13,125,000 bid. From 2013 the fee was capped at $20 million (the system under which Masahiro Tanaka joined the Yankees), and since late 2018 the fee has been the percentage-tier formula described above. NPB's official list of posting-related releases contains 33 entries from 1999 through the 2025-26 offseason, including Daisuke Matsuzaka (2006-07 offseason), Yu Darvish (2011-12), Shohei Ohtani (2017-18), Yusei Kikuchi (2018-19), Masataka Yoshida (2022-23), Shintaro Fujinami (2022-23), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2023-24) and Roki Sasaki (2024-25). For the fuller story, see "The Evolution of International Transfer Rules".
Frequently asked questions
Can an NPB player force his club to post him?
No. Posting requires the club's consent, and clubs do refuse: Hanshin announced on October 31, 2025 that it would not approve Hiroto Saiki's posting for that offseason. Until a player earns international FA rights (nine seasons), the club controls the timing.
What happens if a posted player does not sign with an MLB team?
No release fee is paid and the player returns to his NPB club. It happened in the 2025-26 offseason: Kona Takahashi was posted by Seibu in November 2025, reportedly received offers from three MLB clubs, but re-signed with Seibu in January 2026.
How much does an MLB team pay the NPB club in a posting?
20% of the first $25 million of the contract's guaranteed value, 17.5% of the next $25 million, and 15% above $50 million (25% of the signing bonus for minor league deals). Example: Munetaka Murakami's reported $34 million deal produced a reported fee of $6,575,000 to Yakult.
How long does it take for an NPB player to become an international free agent?
Nine accumulated seasons, where a season means 145 or more days on the active roster during the championship season (shorter seasons combine). Injuries and farm stints slow the count, so most players need more than nine calendar years, and NPB does not publish each player's running total, which is why outside timelines are estimates.
Is a release fee paid when a player moves as an international free agent?
No. An international free agent negotiates with MLB clubs directly and his former NPB club receives no posting fee. That is why the posting system exists: it lets a move happen before nine seasons while compensating the NPB club.