The Seibu Lions will hold a board of directors meeting on Tuesday morning to discuss whether the club will accept the highest bid from an as yet undisclosed major league club for Japanese right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka.
The Lions intend to respond to the offer via the Japanese baseball commissioner's office by the deadline of 7 a.m. Wednesday morning (5 p.m. Tuesday EST).
Matsuzaka, 26, became available to make a switch to the major leagues, using the so-called posting system in which major league clubs submit sealed bids for the right to negotiate with non-free agent Japanese players.
Seibu was notified of the highest bid by a major league club last Thursday but has not revealed the name of the club nor the amount of money offered.
Revealing the amount at this stage would mean in effect an acceptance of the bid, which would violate posting system rules.
It is possible that the amount of the winning bid will not be disclosed until Matsuzaka is ready to sit down at the negotiating table with the major league team.
If Seibu accepts the offer, the highest bidder will have 30 days to negotiate a deal with the player.
According to U.S. media, the Red Sox have reportedly posted the top bid with a figure between $38 million and $45 million, while the Texas Rangers are willing to pay close to $30 million for the highly regarded right-hander.
Matsuzaka was named Most Valuable Player at the inaugural World Baseball Classic tournament in March. He has a 108-60 career record with a 2.95 ERA and 1,355 strikeouts in 204 games and 1,402 2/3 innings.