The Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Skilled Baseball have granted left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara’s request to be posted for MLB groups, per a report from Yahoo Japan. He’ll be obtainable to huge league golf equipment in free company this winter and is being represented by WME. A proper date for his posting has not but been decided, however he’ll have 45 days to barter with MLB golf equipment as soon as posted. If no deal is reached, Ogasawara will return to the Dragons for the 2025 season.
Ogasawara simply turned 27 years previous earlier this month. He’s already a veteran of components of 9 NPB seasons, having made his Central League debut as an 18-year-old again in 2016. Listed at 5’11” and 183 kilos, he’s of slighter body than the standard huge league starter however has began at the very least 23 video games and topped 140 innings in every of the previous 4 seasons. That features a career-high 160 2/3 innings with the Dragons in 2023.
This previous season, Ogasawara tossed 144 1/3 innings and notched a stable 3.12 ERA with an excellent 3.7% stroll fee — the most effective mark of his profession. Sadly, that pinpoint command got here with a career-worst 13.6% strikeout fee that can restrict Ogasawara’s enchantment. To his credit score, Ogasawara has missed much more bats up to now, punching out 24% of opponents as lately as 2022 and fanning 20.1% of opponents in 2023. In each cases, he had greater however however robust stroll charges (6.7% and 6.1%, respectively).
Video of Ogasawara reveals a pitcher who sits within the 91-93 mph vary together with his four-seamer, complementing the pitch with a low-80s changeup and a gradual knuckle curve that sits within the low 70s. Neither Ogasawara’s body nor velocity stand out, however each are comparatively akin to these of 5’10”, 175-pound Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga. Ogasawara’s camp could attempt to make that comparability, however Imanaga persistently posted decrease earned run averages and much superior strikeout charges in NPB (29.5% in his closing season with the BayStars). That stated, Ogasawara is three years youthful than Imanaga was on the time of posting. A multi-year deal appears believable, although doubtless not on the identical ranges as Imanaga’s $53MM assure (which might develop to $79MM based mostly on membership/participant choices).
For these in want of a reminder or an introduction to the NPB/MLB posting system, NPB golf equipment are allowed to “put up” gamers for MLB groups to bid on previous to these gamers reaching free company for the primary time (9 years of service, below NPB guidelines). Any main league workforce can negotiate with the participant and his representatives to barter a contract for any quantity — offered the participant is at the very least 25 years previous and has at the very least six seasons {of professional} expertise. (Gamers below 25 and/or with fewer than six years of expertise are deemed “amateurs” by MLB and restricted to minor league offers and hard-capped signing bonuses.)
The posting window lasts 45 days however can attain a conclusion earlier, relying on when the participant in query strikes a deal to his liking. Along with paying the participant the agreed-upon ensures within the contract, the MLB workforce may also be on the hook for a launch charge to the participant’s former workforce. That charge is the same as 20% of the contract’s first $25MM, 17.5% of the subsequent $25MM and 15% of any {dollars} thereafter. Contractual components like membership choices, incentives based mostly on innings/plate appearances, awards bonuses, and so forth. are all topic to being included within the launch charge as effectively, as soon as these earnings are unlocked.