From April 17:

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From April 16:

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Los Angeles Dodgers' scout Pat Kelly was in the stands at Kleenex Stadium (Softbank vs Rakuten) on Tuesday.

Source: Sponichi 4/17/2013

From April 11:

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From April 7:

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From April 5:

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Manny Ramirez hit the CPBL's 7,000th home run on April 4.

Source: Nikkan Sports 4/6/2013

From April 3:

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Hideki Okajima will start the season at Triple-A Sacramento and Hiroyuki Nakajima on the 15-day DL with a hamstring injury.  From the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser:

... Evan Scribner snagged the final bullpen slot, with lefty Pedro Figueroa and non-roster relievers Hideki Okajima and Mike Ekstrom heading to Triple-A Sacramento...

Nakajima was disappointed to land on the DL. He's never had a hamstring injury before, and Melvin said that the A's want to be careful with it because hamstrings can recur easily if they don't heal fully. He said he will be OK with a rehab assignment with Sacramento – something Melvin says would be part of the plan- and he will continue to get adjusted to U.S. baseball. I asked what he's learned so far, and he said, "The style – everything is different. Lifestyle, language everything. But I really believe all this experience will serve as a benefit for me in the long run."

... There's little doubt that things have not clicked yet for Nakajima, either offensively or defensively, so it would not be a surprise if he spends more time at Sacramento than just a rehab assignment, but the A's do continue to believe that Nakajima will be able to hit in the big leagues, once he adjusts.

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The Chicago Cubs purchased Hisanori Takahashi's contract.  From the MLB.com's Carrie Muskat:

... Baker was placed on the 60-day DL on Sunday, and the Cubs selected the contracts of non-roster invitees Lillibridge and Hisanori Takahashi, who earned the last spot in the bullpen...

The addition of Takahashi, who will turn 38 on Tuesday, gives the Cubs another lefty in the bullpen besides James Russell. In nine Cactus League games, including two starts, Takahashi gave up nine runs on 21 hits over 18 1/3 innings.

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Tsuyoshi Wada was placed on the 15-day DL.  From an official press release:

The Orioles today announced that they have placed RHP STEVE JOHNSON (right lat strain), INF WILSON BETEMIT (right knee ligament sprain) and LHP TSUYOSHI WADA (left elbow surgery) on the disabled list. Wada is retroactive to March 22, Johnson is retroactive to March 23 and Betemit is retroactive to March 26.

Hisanori Takahashi has reportedly signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs.  Source: NBC Sports' Hardball Talk, Sponichi 12/29/2012

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Former Nippon Ham Takahiro Matsuka (30) is apparently ready to go to the US in order to continue playing.  Matsuka participated in tryouts in Japan and Taiwan, but could not get a contract.  He now plans to head to the US sometime early next year to see if he can find work in the US (minor league, independent league).  Source: Sanspo 12/29/2012

Ichiro Suzuki is close to signing a two-year deal with the Yankees. From Newsday's Marc Carig:

... The Yankees made it clear Thursday night that the feeling is mutual. They are on the brink of signing Ichiro to a two-year contract, according to a person familiar with the situation, a surprising development considering the team's desire to cut payroll for the 2014 season. The new contract, reportedly worth about $13 million, could be agreed upon as early as Friday.

The Yankees initially approached Ichiro about a one-year deal, but other suitors such as the Phillies emerged with multiyear offers, according to a source. In response, the Yankees anted up to keep the Japanese star, who looked rejuvenated after his July trade from the Mariners.

And from ESPN's Wallace Matthews:

... According to a baseball source who has been briefed on the negotiations, the Yankees and Ichiro likely will finalize a deal Friday that will pay the outfielder between $12 million and $13 million over two years and will keep him in pinstripes until his 41st birthday.

The source added that Suzuki also was being courted by two other teams, both of which were offering more money than the Yankees. One of the teams was said to be the Philadelphia Phillies, who were offering $14 million for two years, according to the source. The identity of the other team is unknown, but the source said its offer was $15 million for two years. 

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The latest on Chang-Yong Lim and the Chicago Cubs, from CSNChicago.com's Patrick Mooney:

... Chang-Yong Lim spoke with reporters on Thursday at Incheon International Airport outside Seoul, South Korea, indicating he had a deal that could be worth $5 million over two years.

The Cubs have not commented on the reports, though sources said the money has been overstated, cautioning that if they close the deal, it would be a two-year minor-league contract that contains only a small amount guaranteed. It would not come with a spot on the 40-man roster.

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The media learned that Hiroyuki Nakajima got a tour of Wrigley Field on the 11th (US time).  According to a number of MLB source, Nakajima met Theo Esptein and Jed Hoyer.  Source: Nikkan Sports 12/14/2012

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Hisanori Takahashi is only thinking about playing in the Majors next year.  He likely returned to the US today.  Source: Sanspo 12/14/2012

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Kyuji Fujikawa held a press conference at a hotel in Tokyo on Thursday to talk about his decision to play in the Majors and sign with the Chicago Cubs.  He also spoke about meeting Yu Darvish in Los Angeles when he was in the US in November and getting tips on how to adjust to MLB baseballs.

Source: Nikkan Sports 12/14/2012, Daily Sports 12/14/2012, Sanspo 12/14/2012, Sponichi 12/14/2012

Chang-Yong Lim is reportedly close to signing a split contract with the Chicago Cubs, according to a report by Joongang Ilbo.  Lim received a number of offers from teams in the NPB and MLB last month and narrowed his options down to four before deciding on the Cubs.  Source: Joongang Ilbo 12/13/2012

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Hisanori Takahashi closed out his workouts in Kanagawa today.  He will likely return to the US within the next few days.  Source: Nikkan Sports 12/13/2012

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Kyuji Fujikawa plans to attend Cubs Convention (January 18-20) if his visa clears in time.  Source: Sponichi 12/13/2012

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Joe Furukawa was named the 2012 Harold McKinney Good Guy Award winner.  From MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan:

ARLINGTON -- Rangers scout Joe Furukawa has been named the 2012 Harold McKinney Good Guy Award winner by the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Furukawa, a Pacific Rim international scout for the Rangers, worked closely with pitcher Yu Darvish in the right-hander's first Major League season in 2012. As part of his duties, Furukawa served as Darvish's interpreter for all press conferences and media availabilities.