The fate of sought-after right-hander Masahiro Tanaka could be clarified as early as next week, the president of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles said Wednesday.
Tanaka, who went 24-0 this season and was the Pacific League's MVP, has expressed a desire to play in the majors, and the club has said it will consider his wishes. But the agreement in principle on a new posting system that caps posting fees to Nippon Professional Baseball teams at $20 million has muddied the waters.
Speaking at Major League Baseball's winter meetings, Eagles president Yozo Tachibana said he could meet with his ace as early as next Monday and hear what the pitcher has to say.