The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to try and push to recruit Otani to its MLB team.
Century City-based Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has signed a Japanese baseball star to its roster.
Shohei Otani, a 23-year-old star pitcher/outfielder in Japan, is hoping to transition from the Japanese League to Major League Baseball, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.
Otani is the third Japanese baseball player to sign on with CAA, following in the footsteps of Nori Aoki and Junichi Tazawa.
In order for overseas players to come to the US, Major League Baseball (MLB) must sign an agreement with Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league. Once that agreement is signed, all MLB teams will have the opportunity to pay a $20 million posting fee paid to Otani’s current Japanese team, the Nippon Ham Fighters. The posting fee allows then for any team the right to negotiate a contract with Otani.
It is expected that the Los Angeles Dodgers will push to take on Otani.