Japanese pitching sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto being posted for MLB free agency

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will become a free agent Tuesday and major league teams can sign him through 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 4.

Nippon Professional Baseball notified Major League Baseball the 25-year-old right-hander's club, the Orix Buffaloes, was posting him for availability to MLB teams.

The league notified the 30 teams of the posting on Monday, and under the agreement between MLB and NPB the negotiating period starts at 8 a.m. Tuesday and extends for up to 45 days.

Yamamoto was 16-6 with a 1.21 earned-run average this season, striking out 169 and walking 28 in 164 innings, and has a 70-29 record with 1.82 ERA in seven seasons with Orix.

He struck out a Japan Series record 14 in a Game 6 win over Hanshin on Nov. 5, throwing a 138-pitch complete game. Orix went on to lose Game 7.

Yamamoto pitched his second career no-hitter, the 100th no-hitter in Japanese big-league history, on Sept. 9 for the Buffaloes against the Lotte Marines. The game, watched by MLB executives that included New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, extended his scoreless streak to 42 innings.

A two-time Pacific League MVP, Yamamoto also pitched a no-hitter against the Seibu Lions on June 18 last year. His fastball averaged 95 miles per hour and topped out at 96.6 in Japan's semifinal win over Mexico in the World Baseball Classic in March. He threw 20 fastballs, 19 splitters, six curveballs, six cutters and one slider in a 3 1/3-inning relief outing. Batters swung at 11 of his splitters and missed four.

Following hard-throwing 21-year-old sensation Rōki Sasaki, Yamamoto gave up two runs and three hits in 3 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and two walks, allowing Alex Verdugo's RBI double. Yamamoto was charged with a second run when Isaac Paredes hit an RBI single off Atsuki Yuasa.

Under the MLB-NPB agreement, the posting fee will be 20 per cent of the first $25 million US of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5 per cent of the next $25 million and 15 per cent of any amount over $50 million.

There would be a supplemental fee of 15 per cent of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.

Lynn had poor season with White Sox, Dodgers

The St. Louis Cardinals began the retooling of their starting rotation Monday by agreeing to a one-year deal with Lance Lynn that brings the right-hander back to the club that drafted him, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press.

The person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending a physical, said the 36-year-old is guaranteed $11 million US. Lynn will make $10 million for the upcoming season. The deal includes a club option for 2025 with a $1 million buyout.

The last time Lynn was on the mound, he gave up four homers in a single inning to the Diamondbacks in the divisional round of the playoffs. Arizona went on to win 4-2 and clinch a three-game sweep that sent them to the NL Championship Series.

The Dodgers declined his $18 million option earlier this month.

His performance in the NLDS was a microcosm of a disappointing year for Lynn, who had been traded from the White Sox at the deadline but couldn't find his footing in Los Angeles. He allowed 44 homers between the two clubs, the sixth-most in a season in MLB history, not including the home runs that he allowed in the playoffs.

Lynn finished the season 13-11 with a 5.73 ERA, the worst by nearly a full run of his big-league career.

The Cardinals, who finished 71-91 for their worst record since 1990, have been expected to heavily pursue starting pitchers in free agency.

Their rotation had a dismal 5.08 ERA last season, fifth worst in the majors, and the only entrenched starters under contract for the upcoming season are right-hander Miles Mikolas and left-hander Steven Matz.