Shohei Otani rumors: Red Sox, Rangers, Yankees, Dodgers

Eight teams are looking at Japanese right-hander Shohei Otani, and the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers have done "the most work in this arena," reports Buster Olney of ESPN:

A pack of eight teams is looking at a teenager from Japan. They are limited by the rules on international spending. One source says the Red Sox and Rangers have done the most work in this arena.

Along with the Red Sox and Rangers, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers are among the four teams viewed by the Japanese media as "leading the chase" for Otani.

Otani has decided to forgo the Japanese league and instead jump directly into Major League Baseball. The 18-year-old said he "agonized over the decision" on whether to remain in Japan or pursue a career in North America, but he ultimately elected MLB as it’s been his "dream" since he started school.

Otani is poised to become the first Japanese player to sign directly with an MLB team. For this reason teams won’t have to wager a posting fee for the right to negotiate with Otani like we’ve seen in years past with Japanese pitchers such as Texas Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish.