JAPANESE PITCHING STAR ENTERS FREE AGENCY

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is poised to become major-league baseball’s next big Japanese star after the 25-year-old pitching sensation posted as a free agent on Monday. The right-hander is expected to set off a bidding war among the league’s richest clubs looking to upgrade their starting rotations and could command a long-term contract worth north of US$200-million. This year Yamamoto went 16-6 with a 1.21 ERA and captured his third straight Triple Crown in Nippon Professional Baseball’s Pacific League as the leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts. The window for teams to bid on Yamamoto opens on Tuesday and closes on Jan. 4.