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Another Japanese standout could be on his way to the majors after all.
Right-handed pitcher Takahiro Norimoto, a prolific strikeout artist during his 13 seasons with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Rakuten Golden Eagles, has an MLB offer on the table, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
While Norimoto is also weighing a return to Japan, but he’s expected to decide on his 2026 plans by this weekend, Feinsand added.
It was reported in October that Norimoto planned to explore opportunities with both MLB and NPB clubs.
Norimoto, who turned 35 in December, is classified as an international free agent, which simplifies his path to signing with an MLB organization.
With nine-plus seasons in NPB, he’s exempt from the posting system, which requires any team that signs him to pay a fee. Also, as a player who is 25 or older with six-plus seasons in the pro ranks, he’s not subject to MLB’s bonus pool system, which would limit how much teams could offer him.
A six-time NPB All-Star, Norimoto was one of the most dominant starters in the league during the 2010s.
He led the circuit in strikeouts for five straight years from 2014-18, averaging nearly 209 punchouts a season during that stretch.
Norimoto transitioned to the bullpen in 2024, where he has continued to pitch well.
While his strikeout totals have dropped, Norimoto has nonetheless converted 48 saves over the last two campaigns.
In 2025, Norimoto pitched to a 3.05 ERA in 56 games, recording 16 saves and 43 strikeouts in 56 innings.
Norimoto has experience facing MLB hitters as he, along with two relievers, combined to no-hit a star-studded lineup of major leaguers during an exhibition game at the Tokyo Dome on Nov. 15, 2014.
Referring to the game as “the best outing of my career” at the time, Norimoto tossed five scoreless frames with six punchouts — facing a lineup that included Ben Zobrist, Robinson Cano, Evan Longoria, Justin Morneau, Yasiel Puig, Salvador Perez and Lucas Duda.
“It’s too good to be true,” Norimoto said, per the Los Angeles Times. “I wanted to see how my pitches would work against MLB hitters. The fact that my teammate [Motohiro] Shima was catching made me feel at ease and I was able to perform as usual. The atmosphere at the park was really nice.”
If Norimoto signs with an MLB organization, it’ll be the second straight offseason a 35-year-old NPB star signs an MLB contract after Tomoyuki Sugano joined the Orioles.
He’d also be the fourth player to make the jump from NPB this offseason
Fellow right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai inked a three-deal with the Astros.
Infielders Munetaka Murakami (White Sox) and Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays) also signed multi-year deals.
Kona Takahashi, a longtime hurler for the Seibu Lions, elected to return to Japan despite reportedly having an MLB offer.
