Seibu’s Kaima Taira led NPB with a 1.36 ERA in his first full season back in the rotation, and Nippon-Ham’s Hiromi Itoh is a former Sawamura Award winner. Both right-handers are now available to all 30 clubs, and the calendar is not on their side.
Teruaki Sato is the headliner of Japan’s posting class, but the two arms that came with him may draw just as many calls. MLB notified all 30 clubs on Nov. 1 ET that Saitama Seibu Lions right-hander Kaima Taira and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters right-hander Hiromi Itoh were available through the posting system. Negotiations opened Monday, Nov. 2 (MLB.com; Sankei).
Kaima Taira: the bullpen ace who became the best starter in Japan
Taira, who turns 27 on Nov. 15, spent 2024 and 2025 in relief before moving back into Seibu’s rotation this year. The results were absurd: a 1.36 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over 23 games, the best ERA in NPB (MLB.com). He went 12-5 (Yahoo Sports).
- 2026: 12-5, 1.36 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 23 games
- 2025 (as closer): 1.71 ERA, 31 saves
- Career (8 NPB seasons): 1.78 ERA, 9.4 K/9, per Baseball-Reference (via MLB.com)
- Arsenal: Mid-to-upper-90s fastball, plus cutter, sweeper, changeup and splitter
At a listed 5-foot-8, Taira will face the usual questions about durability and whether a smaller right-hander can hold up over 30 starts. MLB.com’s Max Ralph nonetheless wrote that Taira’s stuff “could be second-best on the open market this offseason,” behind only two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. For clubs that are unsure about him as a starter, his record as a high-leverage reliever gives them a fallback role, which could widen his market.
Hiromi Itoh: the workhorse
Itoh, 29, offers a different profile: volume and command. Since debuting in 2021 he has thrown 1,000 2/3 innings for the Fighters with 902 strikeouts and a 2.92 ERA (MLB.com).
- 2026: 10-10, 3.18 ERA, 172 2/3 IP, 159 K, 4.7% walk rate, 26 starts
- 2025: 2.52 ERA, 195 K in 196 2/3 IP, Sawamura Award (Japan’s equivalent of the Cy Young)
His 2026 was a step back from that award-winning season, but a sub-5% walk rate and back-to-back seasons of 170-plus innings will appeal to teams looking for a mid-rotation starter who takes the ball every fifth day.
Same rules, shorter clock
Both pitchers are over 25, so neither is bound by MLB’s international bonus pool rules. Clubs can sign them to deals of any length and value, and Seibu and Nippon-Ham will receive release fees tied to the contracts (MLB.com). If either fails to sign, he returns to his NPB club for 2027.
The catch is time. NPB players normally get 45 days to negotiate, but MLB’s collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reportedly said the posting window will not pause during a lockout, and that posted players must sign by 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 1 (Yahoo Sports). Japanese outlet Sponichi, citing the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, likewise reported that no MLB contracts could be completed once a lockout begins (Sponichi Annex). In effect, Taira and Itoh have about 30 days.
NPB Wire’s take
The Dec. 1 deadline compresses what is usually a slow-building market, so expect decisions on both pitchers to come quickly. Taira looks like the bigger swing. His ceiling is higher, but the starter-versus-reliever question will shape both his market and his contract. Itoh is the safer bet: a proven innings-eater with elite control whose price should stay reasonable after a down year. Teams that miss on the top of the free-agent pitching market could turn to either one quickly.
Reports on interested teams will be added as they emerge, clearly labeled and linked to their original sources.