NEW YORK -- Kevin Millar was awaiting word Tuesday on whether the Chunichi Dragons would release him from his agreement to play in Japan this year.

Millar met Monday night with Mitsuo Kodama, Chunichi's manager of baseball operations, who was to speak with higher-level executives when the club's offices in Japan opened Tuesday.

	Kevin Millar Left Field Florida Marlins Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI R SB AVG 126 16 57 58 0 .306

Millar agreed in early January to a $6.2 million, two-year contract with the Dragons, who finished second in Japan's Central League last year. The Dragons paid $1.2 million to the Marlins for Millar's rights, and Florida then put the outfielder on waivers, seeking his unconditional release.

Boston then showed interest in acquiring Millar, filing a waiver claim, which the player rejected.

Millar was due to report to the Japanese team last weekend, but changed his mind, saying he did not want to play overseas when it was possible the United States would be at war.

Kodama met Monday with Sandy Alderson and Rob Manfred, both executive vice presidents in the commissioner's office, and Ed Burns, another baseball lawyer.

Millar's wife and father attended the 3½-hour meeting, along with his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson. Chunichi retained former New York Yankees' lawyer Mel Southard, who also was at the meeting.

Among the topics Millar was expected to broach: that his wife is afraid to leave the United States to live in Asia if the U.S. did go to war; and that his situation ought to be treated exactly the way Major League Baseball and the Japanese league handled the decision by Japanese third baseman Norihiro Nakamura, who agreed to a contract with the Mets and then changed his mind. Nakamura was allowed by all parties to renege on the contract and return to Japan

The Red Sox say they remain interested in signing Millar, but Chunichi has thus far refused to release him from the deal he agreed to last month.

Information from ESPN.com senior writer Jayson Stark was used in this report.