Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda, potentially one of MLB's top imported free agents this offseason, will not be available after all.
The Hiroshima Carp of the Japan Central League will not post the 26-year-old right-hander, blocking him from coming to the United States as a major league freee agent, according to Jim Allen of the Kyodo News.
Projected as a back-of-the-rotation starter in the majors, Maeda was considered one of the better pitching options available on the open market this offseason. His fastball tops out in the low 90s and, in seven seasons overseas, is 82-59 with a 2.44 ERA and a 7.3 strikeout rate per nine innings.
Maeda is now unable to become a free agent until 2017.