The bidding to sign Masahiro Tanaka began at 8:00 a.m. EST, according to a Major League spokesman.
Teams now have until 5:00 p.m. on Jan. 24 to attempt to sign the 25-year-old right-hander.
If Tanaka and a major league team come to terms, that franchise is required to pay his Japanese club, the Rakuten Eagles, a posting fee, now capped at $20 million under a deal reached two weeks ago between MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball.
Via Associated Press