SENDAI (Kyodo) Hisashi Iwakuma said Saturday he was thrilled at learning that at least one major league club has made a bid for the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles right-hander via the posting system.
"My heart was pumping. I'm relieved and thrilled," Iwakuma told reporters at the Sendai-based club's Kleenex Stadium.
Mike Teevan, media relations manager for Major League Baseball, confirmed the bid to Kyodo News in an e-mail message Friday, saying, "There was at least one bid placed in the Iwakuma posting."
The 30 major league teams had until Friday to submit sealed bids to win the right to negotiate a contract with Iwakuma, upon approval of the price by his Japanese club.
Rakuten has until 5 p.m. Thursday next week to decide whether to accept the sealed bid and notify the NPB commissioner's office of the decision.
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