Documented facts (as of Aug 1, 2026)
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Club / position | Saitama Seibu Lions, pitcher, No. 13 |
| Born | February 3, 1997 (age 29 as of August 2026) |
| Drafted | 2014 draft, 1st round, out of Maebashi Ikuei High School (high-school draftee) |
| First NPB season | 2015 |
| Seasons with first-team games | Every year 2015-2026 (12 seasons), including light years in 2017 (7 games) and 2018 (3 games) |
| Career totals | 212 games, 81-82, 3.32 ERA (as of Aug 1, 2026) |
| Recent seasons | 0-11 with a 3.87 ERA in 2024; 8-9, 3.04 in 2025; 8-5, 2.51 in 2026 through Aug 1 |
The 2025-26 posting, step by step
On November 5, 2025 Seibu announced it would accept Takahashi's wish to pursue MLB via the posting system and begin transfer procedures; the club's head of baseball operations said it was honoring a wish the pitcher had long expressed, and Takahashi thanked the club for backing a longtime dream (Seibu official release). The negotiation deadline fell in early January (5 p.m. ET on January 4, 2026) and Full-Count, citing MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, reported that three MLB clubs made offers but that Takahashi elected to return to Seibu; the club announced his re-signing on January 4, 2026 (Full-Count; Nishinippon Sports). Because no MLB contract was signed, no release fee was paid, and he does not appear on NPB's official list of posting-related releases. The same offseason, Seibu also posted Tatsuya Imai, who signed with the Houston Astros, making Seibu the demonstration of both possible outcomes at once.
Estimated eligibility timeline
| Route | Estimated earliest timing | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Posting (again) | Any offseason Seibu consents | Precedent set in 2025-26; no new announcement (as of Aug 2, 2026) |
| Domestic FA (8 seasons) | Not publicly determinable | High-school draftee needs 8 counted seasons; 2017 (7 games) and 2018 (3 games) contributed few days |
| International FA (9 seasons) | Reported as likely during the 2026 season (not officially confirmed) | Nishinippon Sports reported (Jan 4, 2026) that he was expected to meet the international FA requirement during the 2026 season if all went smoothly; NPB does not publish cumulative days, so this cannot be independently confirmed |
Seibu's posting record is the deepest in NPB (as of 2026): per NPB's official release list it has sent Shinji Mori and Daisuke Matsuzaka (2006), Kazuhisa Makita (2018), Yusei Kikuchi (2019) and Tatsuya Imai (2026) to MLB via the system. Full-Count also reported, at the time of the January 2026 re-signing, that a multi-year deal structured around a future opt-out was expected (a structure that would let him try MLB again without a posting fee). What is verified is the report itself; the contract's actual clauses have not been published.
Frequently asked questions
Why didn't Kona Takahashi sign with an MLB team after being posted?
He chose to return. Full-Count, citing MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, reported that three MLB clubs made offers but that Takahashi elected to go back to Seibu, which announced his re-signing on January 4, 2026. Posted players are never obliged to sign.
Did Seibu receive any money from the 2025-26 posting of Takahashi?
No. The release fee is only paid when the posted player actually signs an MLB contract. Since Takahashi went unsigned, no fee was generated, unlike teammate Tatsuya Imai, whose signing with Houston did trigger a fee for Seibu.
Will Takahashi be posted again?
No announcement has been made as of August 2026. What is documented: Seibu approved his challenge once (November 2025), he returned by his own choice, and Full-Count reported his new deal was expected to be structured around a future opt-out. Whether and when another attempt happens has not been announced.