Potential Yankees target Kaima Taira, who led NPB in ERA, to be posted this offseason
· Yahoo Sports
Kaima Taira, Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) ERA leader for the 2026 season, is set to be posted by his former team.
Visit freshyourfeel.com for more information.
The Saitama Seibu Lions announced Friday that they will approve Taira's posting, and once that happens, MLB teams will be able to negotiate with the right-hander.
Taira owns a 1.78 ERA and a 9.4 K/9 across his eight NPB seasons, but really broke out this past season. The soon-to-be 27-year-old pitched to a 1.36 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP across 23 games this season as a starter. The Yankees have reportedly scouted the 5-foot-8 pitcher and could use Taira on their roster after a few departures in the bullpen.
David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, along with Michael Fulmer and John Schreiber (both mid-season additions), are set to hit free agency. And while Bednar and Blackburn could be back, the others may not, which is where Taira's ability to pitch out of the bullpen comes in. Taira pitched briefly out of the 'pen in 2024, but was used more as a reliever in 2025, converting 31 saves and pitching to a 1.71 ERA across 54 games (52.2 IP).
Whether Taira hopes to be a starter or closer is not yet known, but once Seibu makes their posting official, MLB teams have a 45-day window to negotiate with him.