The Angels are suddenly part of the conversation when top free agents come up, and Japanese left-hander Kaima Taira may be one of the names they chase.
That alone would have sounded strange not long ago. Los Angeles had a long reputation for being mentioned on the margins of the biggest free-agent stories, only to fade out before anything serious developed. But the landscape is different now, and the club is being linked to Taira, who is “expected to be posted in early November,” according to a report from Mark Polishuk of MLBTradeRumors.com that referenced reporting from Jeff Passan of ESPN.
They won’t be alone. The current list of teams said to be interested also includes the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.
That kind of crowd is hardly unusual for a player like this. What makes this situation stand out is the timing. Polishuk noted that the process is arriving earlier than normal for Japanese players, with labor uncertainty around MLB this winter playing a major role.
Under the usual setup, Japanese players post in mid-November, which starts a 45-day window to sign. In Taira’s case, that would point to a late October or early November deal, before the expected December 1 lockout when the current labor agreement expires.
Taira’s profile is a little unusual, too. He’s a starter who looks like a reliever with a fireplug body, and he put together a 1.36 ERA over 132 innings for the Seibu Lions. On the market, he could wind up as the best free-agent starter available after marquee attraction Tarik Skubal.
There’s also a reason the Lions are moving now. Taira would reach nine seasons in the NPB league after the 2027 season, which would make him a free agent without needing to be posted. By posting him early, Seibu stands to receive a significant percentage of his contract, with the payout tied to different monetary levels.
He has only two seasons as a starter, those coming in 2023 and 2026. Even so, this is shaping up as a fascinating offseason, and for once the Angels may be involved in a meaningful way.
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