LOS ANGELES – We’re essentially reading between the lines trying to gauge the Dodgers’ level of interest in Masahiro Tanaka, but right now they’re not exactly professing a burning desire to land the 24-game winner out of Japan.
Wednesday Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said he has had a couple of conversations with Tanaka’s agent, Casey Close, but described the talks as in the “feeling-out,” stage. Thursday Dodgers president Stan Kasten indicated the Dodgers aren’t expecting to land Tanaka.
“You can be assured we’ll investigate everything and, if there’s a way that it made sense, I’m sure we would consider it,” Kasten told Mark Willard and Ben Lyons on ESPNLA 710 Thursday. “But I wouldn’t predict it, I wouldn’t hang our hat on it, because I think the team we have right now in place is ready to go to spring training, ready to start the season and ready to compete and win. That’s what we’re all here for.”
Teams willing to pay the $20 million posting fee to Tanaka’s Japanese team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles, may negotiate with the pitcher between now and Jan. 24. The New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners all have been linked to Tanaka.