JAPAN – Highly-touted Hanamaki Higashi High School left-hander Yusei Kikuchi has agreed to terms with the Japanese baseball club Seibu Lions.

Kikuchi, who received a signing bonus of 100 million yen, will earn an annual salary of 15 million yen during the first year of his contract. The top prospect can also earn an additional 50 million yen in performance bonuses.

The 18-year-old southpaw, whom analysts estimate will lose at least 850 million yen before becoming eligible to sign with a MLB club, said that “Playing professional baseball has been my dream and goal sinceI started to play baseball 10 years ago. I look forward to being on that stage.”

Tags: Japan