His Japanese team doesn't want to let him go, but Masahiro Tanaka wants to move to Major League Baseball next season.
MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball have finalized a new posting system that caps the fee for players at $20 million, much lower than in the past.
"I informed my team that I would like them to allow me to test my abilities in Major League Baseball next season," Tanaka said.
Tanaka, a 25-year-old right-hander, went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Pacific League during the regular season.