Ah, additional levels of bureaucracy. Of course. What everything needs.

The names of Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga and outfielder Seiya Suzuki; Toronto Blue Jays infielder Kazuma Okamoto; and Chicago White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami have not yet been officially announced.

Although they have expressed their willingness to participate, this is because a response has not yet been received from the MLB side.

Until the previous tournament, Japan would first confirm a player’s willingness to participate, then formally request approval from the player’s club. Once the club agreed, the player’s participation was considered finalized.

Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata reportedly made multiple trips to the United States after the start of last season to observe players in person. During those visits, MLB cautioned him not to directly discuss players’ availability for participation.

In practice, Japan still confirms each player’s intent before NPB submits a participation request to MLB and seeks approval from the relevant club. However, responses are sent to MLB rather than NPB, and only after issues such as insurance are cleared does MLB ultimately relay its decision back to the Japanese side.

The Japan roster right not every roster?