TOKYO, Japan — Japan opened its annual posting period for players hoping to jump to Major League Baseball on Nov. 1, but the clock on any deal may run out far sooner than usual because of the sport’s labor standoff.
Under the posting system, a Japanese club can release a player to negotiate with MLB teams before he reaches international free agency. Requests can be filed through Dec. 15, and once a player is posted he normally gets 45 days to sign. Any MLB club willing to pay the transfer fee to his Japanese team may bargain with him, and that fee rises with the size of the contract.
This winter, two 27-year-olds have been cleared by their clubs to go: Hanshin infielder Teruaki Sato and Seibu pitcher Kaima Taira.
The complication is the collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the players union, which expires Dec. 1. Without a new deal by then, a lockout could start at 11:59 p.m. Eastern that night and freeze all major league transactions, including free agent signings and trades.
In that case, the negotiating windows for posted players are expected to close at 5 p.m. Eastern on Dec. 1, well short of the full 45 days. Any player who has not signed by then would be stuck waiting until a new labor deal is ratified, with clubs barred from negotiating or sending contracts to the league office.
That leaves teams and agents with about a month to work out deals that often take most of the winter.
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