Otani is unique in that he will not be subject to the Japanese posting system. Clubs will not have to pay hefty fees in order to negotiate with Otani. Furthermore, since Otani is an amateur he will be affected by the new collective bargaining agreement. Teams are limited to a 2.9 million dollar cap to sign all of their international free agents. As a result, MLB teams will not be forced to give Ohani a deal like the 108 million dollar one that Yu Darvish received from the Rangers last winter. However Otani's elite talent may cause teams to blow bast the 2.9 million dollar cap. The penalties for a club that surpasses the international bonus threshold are not as harsh as those for the draft.
However, Otani is far from a finished product. Like most teenagers he struggles with command at times. In one outing last year he both walked and stuck out 11 batters. His secondary offerings also lag behind his fastball. While he throws a slider, curve, and splitter that all have the potential to develop into plus pitches, he sometimes labors to throw them with consistency. Furthermore, some scouts question whether or not Otani is even the best prep pitcher in his country. Many evaluators are partial to the more polished Shintaro Fujinama.
Personally, I would take a stab at signing Otani. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for any GM. No other young Japanese arm has been developed in the United States by an MLB organization. It will be intriguing to see how Otani compares to other Nippon studs like Yu Darvish and Daisuke Matsuzaka. And for the price, you can not beat Otani's ceiling.

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