Dodgers Seen as Favorites to Sign Japanese Pitching Prospect

Oda, a right-handed high school standout in Japan, has held meetings with several major league clubs over roughly the past week. Among them are clubs from New York, Detroit, Texas, Philadelphia, St. Louis and Toronto, as well as the Mets. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said the club thinks highly of Oda and that its international staff has followed him closely, though he did not say how the pursuit would end.

The Tokyo Giants chose Oda in the first round of Japan’s recent professional draft. The team visited his Yokohama high school this week but did not meet with him. After being drafted, Oda said he remained committed to starting his professional career in the United States. His high school coach, Hiroaki Murata, said he did not expect the Giants’ decision to install Hideki Matsui, a former Yankees star, as manager to alter Oda’s decision.

A key complication is baseball’s labor agreement. The current collective bargaining agreement, which governs international player acquisitions, expires December 1. Team owners are set to lock out players when it expires, and Oda cannot sign with a major league club until a new agreement is ratified. Oda’s representatives have also handled the moves of Japanese pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki to the major leagues.