SAN FRANCISCO // Hisashi Iwakuma will remain with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles after the Japanese pitcher was unable to reach a contract agreement with the Oakland Athletics during a 30-day negotiating period, the Major League club said.
Because a deal could not be reached, Iwakuma stays on the Golden Eagles' roster and will become a free agent after the 2011 season.
"We regret that an agreement could not be reached by today's deadline," Billy Beane, the Athletics general manager, said last night in a statement on the team's website (http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com).
"In this instance, the player was in a unique situation, being only one year away from free agency, and we fully respect and understand his position," Beane added.
Oakland will have its $19.1 million (Dh70m) posting fee returned, Major League Baseball's official website (www.mlb.com) said. The fee had given the Athletics 30 days to reach a deal with Iwakuma.
The Athletics reportedly were offering Iwakuma $15.25 million over four years but the right-hander wanted a deal that would average $12 million over three years, MLB.com reported.
Iwakuma, 29, had a 10-9 record in 2010 and is 101-62 over 10 professional seasons in Japan.
