Baseball: MLB negotiating period to start for Japanese ace Yamamoto

Major League Baseball said Monday its 30 clubs will have up to 45 days from Tuesday to negotiate a contract with Japanese starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The signing deadline for the 25-year-old right-hander, who was posted by the Orix Buffaloes after a dominant career in Japan, has been set at 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 4.

Yamamoto is considered the second-best free agent available this offseason by baseball analysts, only behind two-time unanimous MVP Shohei Ohtani, who won 10 games as a pitcher and hit 44 home runs for the Los Angeles Angels this year.

Teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and...