Korean Posting System

Definition

Players from Korea's top league -- the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) -- who do not have the requisite nine years of professional experience to gain international free agency can request to be "posted" for Major League clubs.

The period during which KBO players can be posted is typically from Nov. 1 through Dec. 5. When a KBO club posts a player, all 30 Major League clubs have a 30-day window to negotiate with the player and his representatives. If no agreement is reached in that timeframe, the player returns to his KBO club for the coming season. He cannot be posted again until the following offseason.

To sign a posted player, an MLB team must pay a release fee to the KBO club, calculated based on the amount of his guaranteed contract. For Major League contracts, the KBO team receives a payment equal to 20% of the first $25 million in guaranteed value, 17.5% of the next $25 million, and 15% on all amounts above $50 million. When the posted player signs a Minor League contract, the KBO team receives a payment equal to 25% of the signing bonus. Under KBO rules, a club is allowed to post only one player at a time and cannot allow more than one player to leave via the posting process per offseason.

The caveat is that foreign-born players are subject to international bonus pool money restrictions unless they are at least 25 years of age and have played as a professional in a foreign league recognized by Major League Baseball for a minimum of six seasons.