Report: Financial spat could prevent Otani from jumping to MLB in '18

The wait for Shohei Otani to make his MLB debut may be longer than expected.

With rampant speculation about where the versatile pitcher/slugger hybrid may land, the answer looks increasingly like it may be his current team: the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Negotiations between MLB, the Players Association, Nippon Professional Baseball, and Otani's team have stalled, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

The hitch reportedly lies with the Fighters, who would only be entitled to a fee equal to 15-20 percent of Otani's deal. Under a new system, international players under 25 would be subject to international pool caps. This would keep Otani's pay between $300,000 and $3.5 million. The Fighters want a bigger cut than 20 percent of those numbers for a player seen as the country's best.

Related: Otani will reportedly sign minors deal with MLB club

The MLBPA isn't willing to approve an exception in Otani's case, however, because of the possible precedent it could set. The union is concerned about the fairness of the player being signed at $300,000 while his former team receives a $20-million fee like it would under the old CBA.

When Otani turns 25, he can sign as an unfettered free agent and will be able to command whatever salary a team is willing to offer.