MLB teams were notified on Thursday that two more Japanese stars are headed stateside.
Infielder Kazuma Okamoto of the Yomiuri Giants and right-handed pitcher Kona Takahashi of the Saitama Seibu Lions have both been posted for MLB free agency by their respective Nippon Professional Baseball clubs.
Both players will be able to negotiate with big league teams beginning on Friday at 8 a.m. ET. Their 45-day negotiating window will close on Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. ET. If either player is still unsigned after that point, that player will return to his NPB team.
Signings & Trades
Okamoto, 29, has 248 home runs through 1,074 games with Yomiuri, including six consecutive 30-homer campaigns between 2018-23. Although an elbow injury limited the six-time NPB All-Star to just 69 games this past season, he

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