TOKYO -- Japanese right-hander Kaima Taira wants to move to Major League Baseball.
His team, the Seibu Lions, announced it will allow him to pursue a career in MLB via the posting system that allows certain players to sign abroad.
The 26-year-old Taira was 12-5 this season in Japan with an ERA of 1.36. He has a career record in Japan of 37-24.
"As a pitcher, my goal is to win a Cy Young award," the Japanese news agency Kyodo quoted him as saying. "And I'd like to pitch in the World Series as well."
In 2025, Taira had 31 saves for the Lions.
Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato recently announced he also wants to move to American baseball. He hit 39 home runs this season with 106 RBIs.
Also being posted are right-handed pitcher Hiromi Itoh of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and infielder Si-Hwan Roh of the Hanwha Eagles.
Itoh, 29, helped Japan win a a gold medal at the 2021 Olympics, pitching five scoreless innings over three games, and also pitched for the Samurai at this year's World Baseball Classic. He was 10-10 with a 3.18 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 172⅔ innings this year. He won the 2025 Sawamura Award, Japan's version of the Cy Young Award.
Roh, a 25-year-old right-handed hitter, batted .283 with 25 homers and 96 RBIs this season.
Japanese players have made a huge mark on MLB, particularly over the past three decades.
Former Mariners star Ichiro Suzuki has been elected to the Hall of Fame. Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 2025 helped the Los Angeles Dodgers become MLB's first repeat World Series champion in a quarter-century, with Ohtani earning a fourth MVP award and Yamamoto selected World Series MVP.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
