Rangers' Otsuka recommends Padres to Fukudome?

12.8.07 9:48am PST
According to Jamey Newberg's "Newberg Report", Texas Ranger reliever and former Padre Akinori Otsuka, recommended the San Diego Padres to Japanese free agent outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, even though the Rangers are also after his services....OUCH!

12.7.07 10:12pm PST
Apparently, earlier reports that Fukudome had made his decision to make the jump to MLB was incorrect, that according to his agent Joe Urbon.

"He's not going to decide until Tuesday, or Monday our time," Urbon said. "If he had made that decision, you would have seen it out of Japan by now."

"That would be culturally very disrespectful to make that decision," Urbon said.I guess Ken Rosenthal isn't right every time after all.

12.7.07 1:05pm PST
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Japanese free agent outfielder Kosuke Fukudome has made it official that he will leave Japan to join a major league team.

Who that team is at this point, noone knows. The Padres and Cubs are said to be neck-and-neck for him, with the White Sox, Rangers and Giants also showing interest. The decision, according to sources, will be made either late Friday or early Saturday.