SENDAI (Kyodo) Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma said Monday that he is considering a move to the major leagues via the posting system.
"That's right," Iwakuma said, when asked if he was thinking about moving to the majors this coming off season.
Rakuten, however, appears reluctant to let go of the World Baseball Classic winner, saying no talks have been scheduled with the 29-year-old Iwakuma regarding the matter.
"At this point there are no plans in place to discuss this," said team representative Jun Yoneda. "We consider him a valuable part of our plans for next season too."
Iwakuma became eligible for domestic free agency this season after eight years of service with Rakuten and the Orix Buffaloes, but he needs another year to qualify as a free agent overseas.