Let’s go ahead and take care of one question right away - no, Yusei Kickuchi is not the next Shohei Ohtani. First, Kikuchi is 27, is 4 years older than Ohtani. Second, he is not a two-way player. Third, he has his natural UCL still intact. Too soon?
The cost of acquiring Kikuchi is a moving number based on his age and new posting rules that went into effect this off-season. Ohtani was subject to International spending restrictions because of his age, but Kikuchi is not. Teams will need to negotiate a contact with Kikuchi and then pay the Seibu Lions a fee based on that contract:
- Contract worth $25 million or less: 20 percent of total guarantee
- Contract worth $25 million and $50 million: $5 million plus 17.