The offseason pitching market got a lot more interesting with Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki set to be posted for MLB teams.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Chiba Lotte Marines announced on Friday they will begin the process of posting Sasaki in a move that will pave the way for him to pitch in MLB next season.

Even though Sasaki made it known in the past that he wanted to pitch in MLB, it wasn't clear if the Marines would honor his wishes.

Chiba Lotte was financially incentivized to keep Sasaki for two more years because at that point he wouldn't have been subject to international bonus pool restrictions as a player under the age of 25 with fewer than six seasons of professional experience.

Coming to MLB now when Sasaki will be limited to signing a minor-league deal, but in theory all 30 teams will be able to get in on the bidding because his bonus money will be a bargain value relative to what he could earn as a true free agent.

It's the same reason that Shohei Ohtani's original deal with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2017 cost them just $2.3 million in a signing bonus.

Because of the cost to sign Sasaki, who turned 23 on Nov. 1, he could be the most sought-after pitcher this offseason in a market that also includes Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Blake Snell.

One key factor in all of this, as Passan noted, is when Sasaki will be posted. It has yet to be determined when that will happen, but the timing will determine if he falls into the 2024 or 2025 international amateur class.

The 2024 international signing period runs through Dec. 15. Since most teams have already spent at least a significant portion of their bonus money, ESPN's Kiley McDaniel noted Sasaki would likely be limited to signing for around $2.5 million.

If Sasaki's posting falls under the 2025 international signing period that begins on Jan. 15, bonus pools will be reset for all every MLB club. Bonus pool values range from $5.1 million to $7.6 million. Teams can make trades for bonus money to add to their spending total.

The teams with most bonus money include the Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins.

Even though the Los Angeles Dodgers have been cited as one of the heavy favorites to sign Sasaki, Passan pointed out any assumption he will end up there is considered "premature."

The Rays, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Rangers were cited by Passan as potential landing spots, but all 30 teams "will" make strong appeals to Sasaki when he is officially posted.

Sasaki made his professional debut for the Marines in 2021 as a 19-year-old. He made back-to-back NPB All-Star appearances in 2022 and 2023, finished one inning shy of throwing consecutive perfect games and helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic.