Left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii, who was released by the New York Mets last month, held talks with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on Saturday but did not commit himself to joining the Pacific League club.
Details of Rakuten's offer were not disclosed by either side, but Ishii said he was "satisfied" with the discussions and looks set to hold further negotiations with the club.
"Rakuten executives told me that I'm needed by the whole organization, led by manager Katsuya Nomura and the front office," he said.
Ishii is scheduled to hold talks with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters on Sunday and the Yakult Swallows in the coming days.