Major League Baseball is beginning to prepare for a 2013 World Baseball Classic without Japan, but the door is open for a change of heart from the two-time defending champions.
A Friday deadline was set for Japan to decide on its participation in the tournament, but Jim Small, MLB's managing director and vice president in Asia, said Friday there was still time for the Japanese to decide to play.
"It's not a hard line in the sand, but if we don't hear by today, we've gotta start making other plans," Small said.