Hiroyuki

Nakajima

The posting period for Nakajima expired Friday. According to Newman, the Seibu Lions are expected to accept the highest bid regardless of the amount. The 29-year-old batted .297 with 16 home runs, 100 RBI and 21 stolen bases this past season. It’s not clear who may have made an offer, but the Orioles have been linked to him in the past.

The Indians were never considered a realistic destination for Darvish, but this confirms that they’ll be operating under a tight budget this season. Hiroyuki Nakajima, who posted earlier this week, is also reportedly not on their radar.

The Yankees won the rights to the 29-year-old infielder with a bid of about $2 million, but they can’t offer him much playing time and probably can’t guarantee him an Opening Day roster spot. So a sign-and-trade might make some sense if other teams around the major leagues have interest. If not, Nakajima could simply return to his native Japan.

The deadline was originally reported as Tuesday, but that was apparently incorrect. Still, the Yankees are far apart in negotiations with the 29-year-old Nakajima and he’s said to be considering a return to his native Japan. They simply can’t offer him a guaranteed roster spot.

It’s still not clear which team made the winning bid, though Mets manager Terry Collins did hint Monday that his team had interest. The Giants and Brewers have been ruled out. Nakajima, 29, batted .297 with 16 home runs, 100 RBI and 21 stolen bases this past year in Japan’s top pro league.

It’s not yet known whether the Seibu Lions accepted the bid. Nakajima, 29, batted .297 with 16 home runs, 100 RBI and 21 stolen bases this past year in Japan. He’d likely play shortstop if signed by San Francisco.

FOX Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi reported Monday morning that the Giants made a posting offer for the 29-year-old shortstop, but the San Francisco front office now appears to be denying that claim. Nakajima batted .297 with 16 home runs, 100 RBI and 21 stolen bases this past year in Japan. He could return to the Seibu Lions if no major league team wants to take the risk.

Collins said that, as of now, Ruben Tejada is his shortstop, “but if Nakajima wants to come, we’ll see if we can find a hole for him.” Nakajima batted .297 with 16 home runs, 100 RBI and 21 stolen bases this past year in Japan. Reports that the Giants submitted a bid on the 29-year-old have been debunked, but perhaps the Mets submitted one for him.

The Yankees are reportedly reluctant to go beyond one year and don’t view him as anything more than a utility man, so it’s increasingly unlikely that a deal is reached before Friday’s deadline. If Nakajima returns to the Seibu Lions, the Bombers are expected to re-open talks with free agent Eric Chavez.

Most reports have indicated that it’s unlikely the Yankees and Nakajima will agree to a deal before Friday’s deadline, but if the report is true, perhaps there’s still a chance. The 29-year-old infielder wouldn’t have much of a role with the Bombers, so it’s hard to believe they’d give him much in the way of guaranteed money or years.