MLB expects posting agreement with Japanese league by early December

Shohei Ohtani could have a major-league team just in time for Christmas.

Major League Baseball's chief legal officer, Dan Halem, said Wednesday the league has a tentative agreement in place on a new posting fee with Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan's highest professional league, and hopes to have it implemented by the first week of December, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas News.

Despite Ohtani already making his intentions clear that he wants to pursue a career in North America, he can't be cleared to leave Japan until the leagues reach a new agreement. The old posting agreement, which expired earlier this month, required MLB teams to pay Japanese clubs a fee of up to $20 million for a player.

Negotiations have apparently hit a snag due to unhappiness on both sides. One potential agreement would have seen the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters receive compensation based on the percentage of Ohtani's MLB contract, but because he'll be forced to sign a minor-league deal, the Fighters would only receive minimal payment. Another prospective concept would have seen Nippon land the $20-million maximum that existed in the previous arrangement, though the MLB Players Association believes that would be unfair to Ohtani, as his former club would receive more money than the player himself.

Once both sides finally reach an agreement, expect all 30 MLB clubs to express interest in the two-way star.