Shohei Otani reportedly hires American agents

The likelihood of Shohei Otani coming to MLB seems a lot higher given the latest news surrounding him.

The Los Angeles Times’ Dylan Hernandez reported on Monday that Otani has chosen CAA to represent him in America, with Nez Balelo as the lead agent.

Sources: Shohei Ohtani has chosen CAA to represent him in the United States. Nez Balelo will be the lead agent.

— Dylan Hernandez (@dylanohernandez) November 7, 2017

Otani is a star in Japan, and there has been talk over the past year that he may come to MLB for next season.

The 23-year-old has played five seasons for the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan and has established himself as a star hitter and pitcher. He batted .322 with 22 home runs in 104 games last year, and .332 with 16 doubles and eight homers in 65 games this season. As a pitcher, he’s gone 42-15 with a 2.52 ERA during his career.

The posting agreement between MLB and the Japanese professional league has expired, so a new agreement needs to be put in place before Otani can be posted.