Shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima left for New York on Thursday in a last-ditch effort to secure a deal with the Yankees.
Nakajima will meet with the Yankees who posted a winning bid of $2.5 million last month for the rights to negotiate with the 29-year-old slugger, according to the Seibu Lions.
The exclusive 30-day negotiating window closes on Saturday at 7 a.m., Japan time.
Nakajima batted .297 with 16 homers and 100 RBIs while appearing in all 144 regular-season games for Seibu in 2011.