The NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) announced that Yusei Kikuchi has been posted. All thirty MLB teams have been notified that the negotiation period has begun and the bidding process is open. Kikuchi is considered one of the best pitchers in the NPB and could be the hard-throwing southpaw the Astros need to complement right-handed Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole.
The Saitama Seibu Lions of the NPB began the posting process for Kikuchi on Monday. Teams have thirty days to negotiate a deal with his agent Scott Boras.