Japanese left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii said Tuesday that an agreement on the terms of a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers would be settled in a few days.
Ishii, who arrived in Los Angeles on Tuesday, said, "Of course, I came here to become a member of the Dodgers' team. I think the contract will be settled in two to three days."
However, a Los Angeles Times report said the same day that the two parties were still miles apart from closing the gap between Ishii's desired contract and what the Dodgers are offering him.
Ishii's agent, Joe Urbon, also appeared to remain skeptical about fixing a deal as he was quoted by the daily as saying, "I am still pessimistic about Ishii signing a contract with the Dodgers."
Ishii remained upbeat, saying, "It's not like we've hit a standstill, and I've come here to Los Angeles to make the final decision."
The Los Angeles Times reported last week that the latest offer was in the three-year, $8 million range.