Via Nikkan Sports, the New York Daily News' Anthony Mccarron reports that Joe Girardi would like another left-handed bat and Hideki Matsui could be a candidate.  A snip:

Girardi acknowledged that the Yankees have considered several hitters, including free agents Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez and Hideki Matsui as potential solutions. GM Brian Cashman has said several times this winter that the Yanks could use a surplus of starting pitchers – A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia will all vie for the No. 5 slot – as a trade chip for a hitter, too.

"Johnny's been a great player for a long time," Girardi said when a reporter brought up Damon, a Yankee from 2006-09. "There have been a bunch of names that have been talked about and they're all good players. Ibanez's name has been brought up and he's had a great career, Matsui's name has been brought up and he's had a great career.

"Obviously, we know what Johnny and Matty have meant to this organization over the years and how they've been successful in New York. I'm curious to see how it's all going to shake out."

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Junichi Tazawa worked out with Takashi Saito in Kawasaki on Friday.

And Bobby Valentine has been quoted as saying, "[Tazawa] could help bullpen from opening day."

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Former Yomiuri Giant and Nippon Ham Fighters, Wirfin Obispo (27), has signed a minor league deal with the Cincinnati Reds.

Nikkan Sports mentions ESPN's Wallace Matthews' report on the New York Yankees and Hiroki Kuroda.  A snip:

It has been reported in several places that the Yankees and Red Sox are actively pursuing free-agent right-hander Hiroki Kuroda, but the baseball sources I have spoken with over the past week say it is unlikely the Yankees will make a bid on the 37-year-old former Dodger.

...

Assuming the person is telling me the truth -- and I am -- any Yankee "interest'' in Kuroda is probably designed to drive up the price for the Red Sox.

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Hideki Matsui left for Japan out of JFK Airport on Tuesday and told reporters before leaving that the only thing he could do right now was to wait for offers while preparing for the 2012 season.  He also said that his demands/wishes were not very high and that he planned to approach any deal even-keeled.

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Sports Hochi is reporting that Hideki Okajima is nearing the final stages of finalizing a minor league deal (includes Spring Training invite) with the New York Yankees.  Sports Hochi also reports that Okajima received a number of offers, but all were minor league contracts.

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Via Nikkan Sports and Sponichi, the San Francisco Chronicle's Susan Slusser provides the following update on Hisashi Iwakuma:

I checked in with some sources about the A's interest in Hisashi Iwakuma, which was reported by the Contra Costa Times the other day, and while I had it confirmed that Oakland is one of the four teams to have inquired about the Japanese pitcher, the A's are "lukewarm" about Iwakuma.

I'm told that there are two teams with "viable" interest in Iwakuma, and the A's aren't one of them.

On Tuesday, Iwakuma worked out at the indoor training facilities at Kleenex Stadium and tossed a bullpen session (about ten pitches) after he worked with weights and played some catch.

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According to Sponichi, Takashi Saito's new uniform number with the Arizona Diamonbacks will be 48 -- four because it is his lucky number and because he will be in his 40s and eight because it can also represent "infinity" when put on its side.

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Sports Hochi notes that Yu Darvish's divorce could be finalized in January 2012.

Nikkan Sports has posted the following comments taken during Takashi Saito's press conference on Thursday:

Why did you select [the Arizona Diamondbacks]?

I felt they could use my help and were in good position to win a championship.  I was happy and surprised that the Diamondbacks thought so well of me.  And the sooner I decide, the sooner I can focus on my training.

You almost seem migratory bird...

Honestly, a part of me feels a multi-year deal would have been nice.  There are risks, but I consider this a new challenge.  And I am happy for the chance to play.

Your goals for next season...

I would like to become a champion.  I want to make each day important and hopefully that will build its way into a championship.  The team wants me to pitch the 7th inning.

You will turn 42 next year...

I do not think about my age when I am on the mound.  There are things that crop up during practices and day-to-day life.  I am a player up there in age so I need to take care of myself off the field.  I have already started practicing.  As long as I can move, I want to keep going.

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Tsuyoshi Wada posted the following message at his blog on Wednesday:

The media reported it first but,

I was able to officially sign with the Baltimore Orioles today.

I have finally managed to get to the starting line for the Majors, a dream that I have had since I played college baseball.

I am grateful to both the Hawks, for seeing me off in such a pleasant manner, and to the Baltimore Orioles, for being the first to offer me a contract and for wanting me as a starter.

I was not able to say anything up until now because my agent asked me to avoid talking about my free agency.

Since I have still not signed a contract, it may not be considered official just yet, but there were a number of things I had to do, like get medical and physical examinations, but now that I have been able to tell announce this, I feel as if a great pressure has been lifted off my chest.

However, since before I exercised my FA option and especially recently, the media has been snooping around my home in Fukuoka for information, scaring my wife and daughter...

It was because of those circumstances that I had no choice but to become even more nervous/sensitive [about my current situation].

I feel relieved that I was able to provide everyone with an update.

I have also, of course, already informed Akiyama-kantoku and Oh-kaicho over the phone.

I will sign the contract tomorrow and then appear at a press conference at Oriole Park on 12/15 @ 4pm EST (12/16 @ 6am JST).

As for my uniform number, since 21 was not available, I decided to go with 18, the number I wore during my college years.

I selected the number 18 because I thought it might be good to return to playing baseball with the same kind of approach I had when I was playing college baseball.

I will provide another update after my press conference.

Takashi Saito said at his press conference today that he decided to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks because he felt they had the right team balance: they were a young team with potential and he felt that he could make a difference.

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CBS Sports has an update on Daisuke Matsuzaka's injury (via Nikkan Sports):

RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka's recovery from Tommy John elbow surgery is going well enough that agent Scott Boras expects he might be ready to pitch "sometime this summer." Moreover, Boras believes new manager Bobby Valentine's background as a skipper in Japan will be helpful to Matsuzaka. "Daisuke knows a great deal about Bobby Valentine, and obviously, he's very well-respected," Boras said. "Certainly Daisuke has a familiarity with him. I think the two of them will have a lot in common, and I'm sure Bobby will take Daisuke to his favorite sushi restaurant."

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Norichika Aoki had a chance to ask Tsuyoshi Nishioka some questions about the Majors (like on the playing surface) during an Addidas event at Jingu Stadium today.

Takashi Saito's one-year deal is estimated to be worth around US$1.75M (a number of Japanese sites are reporting this and all are quoting the US media).

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Tsuyoshi Wada gets the number 18, an interpreter, and a trainer.  And while Wada's contract is worth US$8.15M over two years (with club option for a third year), he could earn potentially up to around US$6M in one year (incentives based on the number of starts).

Daisuke Matsuzaka returned to Japan on Tuesday.   He will be staying in Japan for about two weeks before returning to Fort Myers, Florida in early January to continue his training; he has also received a list of things to do (like training exercises) while in Japan from the Boston Red Sox.

Matsuzaka is scheduled to participate in a baseball clinic with Shuichi Murata in Iwate on 12/17.

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Nikkan Sports is reporting that Takashi Saito selected the Arizona Diamondbacks (one-year, US$1.8M) from eight possible suitors that included the New York Yankees, LA Angels, and LA Dodgers.

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There is a good chance Hideki Matsui won't sign until after December.

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Former Yomiuri Giant, Jonathan Albaladejo, signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Takashi Saito has signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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Sponichi notes that an ESPN article posted on 11/11 mentions that Hideki Matsui is one of eight possible DH candidates the Toronto Blue Jays could be looking at.

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Via Nikkan Sports, the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rogers mentions that the New York Yankees could be strong with Hiroyuki Nakajima.  A snip:

The Yankees' successful bid to get signing rights for Japanese shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima is a sign manager Joe Girardi will rest Derek Jeter more in 2012, possibly using him once or twice a week as the designated hitter. Defensive metrics once again ranked Jeter as the weakest fielder among big league regulars, just ahead of error-prone Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro.

Sponichi reports that Don Mattingly is interested in Hideki Matsui and checked on things like his health, whether or not he can play the field, and how much he might cost (apparently, about US$2M).  The report also mentions that he suggested the Dodgers look into signing Matsui as an OF/bat off the bench.

A separate Sponichi report mentions that where Matsui plays next season will likely depend on what his priorities are: the Tampa Bay Rays have shown interest, but the artificial turf may not be good for his knees; the Baltimore Orioles are interested but they may not be a championship caliber team; and playing for an NL team will likely mean less playing time.

Sports Hochi adds that Matsui probably will not be able to make a decision until after the new year.

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Nikkan Sports notes that the Washington Nationals may be interested in Hisashi Iwakuma, Tsuyoshi Wada, and Wei-Ying Chen.

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When reporters asked what Hiroyuki Nakajima what thought when he found out the Yankees won negotiation rights he said, "I thought, 'wow.'  A great team won the bid."

When asked for more detailed information, he replied, "I still do not know what will happen.

Hisanobu Watanabe offered his two cents and said, "I was surprised.  They have a lot of good infielders, but Nakaji is the kind of player that thrives in tough situations."

And when Nakajima reported the news to Tatsunori Hara, he replied, "That is great news.  But if you join the Yankees, where will you play?"

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Sports Hochi quotes a unnamed baseball rep as saying that says Hiroki Kuroda is no closer to signing with the Colorado Rockies, despite the possibility that he may have received a one-year deal worth US$13M, because he is not fully satisfied with what they are being offered.  Sports Hochi also adds that the Arizona Diamondbacks may begin to push harder for Kuroda.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka made an appearance at Webster House in New Hampshire on Thursday (via Sponichi).  There is also a NESN video interview with Matsuzaka that goes into his rehab progress and his thoughts on Bobby Valentine.

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The Milwaukee Brewers may be moving away from re-signing Takashi Saito.  The Journal Sentinel's Tom Haudricourt provides the following update:

With Rodriguez and Gonzalez on the roster, the Brewers have about $85 million committed to 15 players with guaranteed contracts and projected arbitration settlements. They operated last season with a payroll of about $95 million.

...

The Rodriguez decision could stop the Brewers from adding another reliever from the free-agent market. Melvin had shown interest in re-signing Takashi Saito but stopped short of an actual offer to agent Nez Balelo.

"I gave him some of the parameters we'd be interested in," said Melvin, who expects Balelo to try to get a better deal with another club.

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Norichika Aoki told reporters on Friday that he looked forward to the possibility of facing Yu Darvish in the US.

Nikkan Sports is reporting that about eight MLB teams are interested in Takashi Saito.  Sponichi figures about six teams.

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Bobby Valentine hates the Yankees.  He also told reporters on Wednesday that he did not want Daisuke Matsuzaka to worry about any deadlines and to just focus on getting healthy.  Valentine added that after he accept the managerial job with the Boston Red Sox, he tried calling Matsuzaka (and about four other players) but could not get through and had to e-mail him instead.

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MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko tweets that the Baltimore Orioles are trying to reacquire Koji Uehara.

#orioles are talking to #rangers about reacquiring Koji Uehara. Don't think it would take much these days.

Via Sponichi: MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli goes into a bit more.  A snip:

I wrote earlier this season that Uehara, who was traded to Texas at the July 31 deadline, had expressed a desire to come back to the Orioles, where he still owns a home. And O's executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has made it no secret that the club is trying to upgrade their pitching staff any way they can, with trades being the most likely route.

And MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan mentions that a number of teams, including the Boston Red Sox, are interested in Uehara.

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Nikkan Sports and Sponichi are getting excited over the possibility of seeing Munenori Kawasaki batting lead-off and Ichiro Suzuki batting third.

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Sponichi notes that the Arizona Diamondbacks may have offered Hiroki Kuroda a one-year deal.

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Tsuyoshi Wada told reporters on Tuesday that he plans on working out in Japan this winter instead of heading overseas.

Sponichi is reporting that the Boston Red Sox may have placed the winning bid on Hiroyuki Nakajima.   They also mention the New York Mets as being a team that may have submitted a bid.

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Five or six teams, including the Arizona Diamonbacks, LA Angels, and Pittsburgh Pirates, could be interested in Takashi Saito.

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Sponichi reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are pushing fairly strong to sign Hiroki Kuroda and could be preparing a multi-year deal worth around US$12M a year.  An unnamed MLB source is also quoted as saying that the Diamondbacks may invite Kuroda out to Arizona, with his family, to alleviate any concerns he might have about the location/facilities.

The Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs are amongst the teams that are said to be interested in Kuroda.

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Ichiro Suzuki took 41 swings during BP at Hotto Motto Field on Tuesday and hit two over the fence.