 Under Major League Baseball's current rules, Kikuchi would not have been subject to the MLB Draft and instead be declared a free agent, free to sign with any American team he wanted.The Texas Rangers were one of several teams interested in signing Kikuchi, as well as the Boston Red Sox.Japanese news service reports also identified scouts from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees watching Kikuchi in tournaments.