This doesn't sound promising....from Japanball.com
TOKYO, Jan. 6 (19:04) Kyodo
Japanese infielder Tadahito Iguchi, who has drawn interest from
several major league clubs, and the Chicago White Sox have hit a snag
in their negotiations, sources close to him said Thursday.
Both sides have failed to narrow the differences over financial
terms after the White Sox offered a two-year, $4 million (about 420
million yen) deal and demanded an early response.
A person familiar with the talks indicated that Iguchi's side
hopes for a deal that at least matches his contract with the Daiei
Hawks carrying an annual salary of 240 million yen for 2004.
''The White Sox say they can't wait any more but we can't give
them an answer for the offer that we've got,'' he said.
The White Sox are reportedly one of five major league clubs
interested in acquiring the services of Iguchi, including the New
York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
In his eight-year career with the Hawks, Iguchi, known for his
clutch hitting, hit .271 with 149 homers, 507 RBIs and 159 stolen
bases in 894 games. He won the Pacific League stolen base title in
2001 and 2003 and is also a four-time All-Star.
He made himself available for talks with major league teams
after Daiei accepted his request for unconditional release.