The Hiroshima Carp have agreed to post their ace Kenta Maeda to major league teams this winter, the Central League club announced Friday.
"We felt this was the right timing for both Maeda and the team, to give him a shot at the majors through the posting system," said Kiyoaki Suzuki, head of Hiroshima's baseball operations.
The Carp notified Maeda of their decision Thursday and will file the relevant paperwork next week.
Maeda, 27, is a two-time winner of the Sawamura Award. He went 15-8 with a 2.09 ERA this season for the fourth-place Carp, striking out 175 while logging 206⅓ innings.