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I wonder if it was the Twins who won the bidding war for this Japanese infielder?

Nishioka's Japanese team accepts bid from MLB club

Associated Press | Posted: Friday, November 26, 2010 1:43 am

Tsuyoshi Nishioka has moved a step closer to playing Major League Baseball after his Japanese team said it accepted a bid for the 26-year-old infielder.

The Chiba Lotte Marines announced Friday that a team from the U.S. major leagues has bid for the negotiating rights to Nishioka. Lotte was notified of the highest bidder following Wednesday's deadline. The team and the amount of the bid were not disclosed.

Japanese media has reported that the Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants are among the teams interested in Nishioka.

The winning bidder has 30 days to work out a deal with Nishioka. If no agreement is reached, the Marines will not receive the fee.

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Twins offer arbitration to Crain, Pavano, Hudson
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com

The Twins offered salary arbitration to right-handed starter Carl Pavano, right-handed reliever Jesse Crain and second baseman Orlando Hudson prior to Tuesday's 11 p.m. CT deadline to receive Draft compensation if these free agents sign with another club.

Left-handed reliever Brian Fuentes and right-handed relievers Matt Guerrier and Jon Rauch were not offered arbitration, meaning the Twins will not receive compensation through Draft picks. Guerrier was classified as a Type A free agent, meaning the Twins could have picked up two Draft picks by offering arbitration and Guerrier declining, with one pick coming in the first round if it was not among the protected first 15. Fuentes and Rauch are Type B free agents.

Neither Fuentes nor Rauch was expected to be offered arbitration, but declining Guerrier is a bit of a surprise. Guerrier has been a key cog in the Twins bullpen for the past seven years, but the club might want to bring back its setup man at a lower salary than what he would earn by accepting arbitration after making $3.15 million in 2010.

Hudson doesn't seem to be firmly in the Twins' future infield plans, but because he is a Type B free agent, his arbitration offer shouldn't stop other teams from pursuing him. If Hudson declines arbitration by the Nov. 30 deadline, the Twins will receive a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft that doesn't come from the signing team.

Crain falls in the same category as Hudson as a Type B free agent. But if he accepted arbitration, he would be a welcome return to the bullpen at a slight increase from his $2 million salary in 2010.

Pavano, classified as Type A, figures to pursue a multiyear deal and should see interest as one of the top starters on the open market, coming off of a 17-win season with 221 innings pitched. He and the Twins agreed to a $7 million for the 2010 campaign.

Minnesota can pursue contracts with Rauch, Guerrier and Fuentes, despite declining arbitration with those players.

[Outdoors Junkie]

I wonder if it was the Twins who won the bidding war for this Japanese infielder?

Nishioka's Japanese team accepts bid from MLB club

Associated Press | Posted: Friday, November 26, 2010 1:43 am

Tsuyoshi Nishioka has moved a step closer to playing Major League Baseball after his Japanese team said it accepted a bid for the 26-year-old infielder.

The Chiba Lotte Marines announced Friday that a team from the U.S. major leagues has bid for the negotiating rights to Nishioka. Lotte was notified of the highest bidder following Wednesday's deadline. The team and the amount of the bid were not disclosed.

Japanese media has reported that the Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants are among the teams interested in Nishioka.

The winning bidder has 30 days to work out a deal with Nishioka. If no agreement is reached, the Marines will not receive the fee.

Twins win rights to Tsuyoshi Nishioka


The Minnesota Twins have won the right to negotiate with 26-year-old infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka on a major league contract, Nishioka's Japanese League team announced Friday.

The Chiba Lotte Marines were notified of the highest bidder following Wednesday's deadline and revealed Friday that the Twins won the bid. Lotte did not disclose the amount, but the Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported the Twins' bid was around $5 million.

Nishioka led Japan's Pacific League with a .346 batting average this season and had 206 hits, becoming the first Pacific League player to get 200 hits since Ichiro Suzuki. He led the Marines to this year's Japan Series championship.

"I feel honored to be bid by MLB club and am extremely excited," Nishioka was quoted as saying Friday. "I appreciate that Chiba Lotte gave me this opportunity."

The Twins have 30 days to work out a deal with Nishioka. If no agreement is reached, the Marines will not receive the reported $5 million fee.