Who is Yuki Matsui? All you need to know about Japanese pitcher who's on the radar of multiple MLB teams

Japanese left-handed pitcher Yuki Matsui has recently made headlines for attracting several MLB teams' attention ahead of the offseason this year. The closer has played for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan and reportedly exercised his international free-agent rights earlier this week. As a result, many teams in the MLB are already in the race for his signature.

Yuki Matsui was drafted in the 2013 Nippon Professional Baseball draft and went on to sign for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Since then, he has been a vital member of their bullpen, making the All-Star team on five occasions and finishing as the Pacific League Saves champion on two occasions.

He has also been a central part of the Japanese team that went on to win the World Baseball Classic this year, showing that he's more than capable of mixing it up with the best players in the world.

Matsui now seems to be interested in making a move to the MLB, having exercised his international free-agent rights. This means that he is now free to negotiate with teams in the MLB and sign with a new team without any additional posting fee for his previous club. According to reports, at least nine American teams have already scouted Matsui, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Padres, and Cubs.

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No confirmation on Yuki Matsui's move to the MLB

While there is plenty of interest from MLB teams following Yuki Matsui's decision to become an international free agent, there have been no concrete talks with teams yet. The Boston Red Sox are among the frontrunners who are interested in signing the Japanese pitcher, though there has been no confirmation of his intentions to move to the US yet.

His former team is set to make him an offer in an attempt to convince him to stay, but it looks like the 27-year-old first wants to see what the MLB has to offer. With the likes of the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres also reportedly interested in him, it is likely that he'll make a move across the Pacific sooner rather than later.