The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are still playing the waiting game with Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who is one of the most coveted players in the 2014 free-agent market.
The Dodgers and the Angels expressed their willingness to wait for the results of their pursuit of Tanaka despite the fact that it's still unknown whether or not the right-hander will be on the free agent market this offseason.
Tanaka, who is regarded as the best pitcher available in the free-agent market, could be unavailable for the Dodgers and the Angels if Major League Baseball and the Nippon Professional Baseball league fail to reach a new posting system agreement.
Even if Tanaka will be made available, both teams could also lose in the bidding wars, knowing the other deep-pocketed teams are willing to offer a huge amount to lure the 25-year-old Japanese.
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti admitted that the waiting game for Tanaka is affecting their off-season plans, but he pointed out that the team is ready to adjust depending on the result of the talks about the new posting system.
"We always work on the information we have at the time," Colletti said in an LA Times interview. "If something's going to change in the near term, we'll adjust."
Meanwhile, the Chicago Cubs revealed that they will also join the potential bidding wars for Tanaka, who is described as the harder-throwing version Hiroki Kuroda and often compared to ace pitcher Yu Darvish.
"Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer confirmed the team is interested in acquiring Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka after the right-hander went 24-0 in the regular season for Tohoku Rakuten of the Nippon Professional Baseball this year," Brandon Cain of Cubbies Crib reported.
Aside from the Dodgers, Angels, and Cubs, the New York Yankees, one of the most deep-pocketed teams, are also expected to submit a lucrative bid once the new posting system is settled.
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