Indians close to deal with Kobayashi

Earlier today, frequent commenter E-ROC asked us about Masahide Kobayashi. MLB Trade Rumors noted a few weeks back that Kobayashi was one of the top three Japanese Free Agents on the market this winter. Well, not anymore. Ken Rosenthal reports that the Indians have a deal in place with Kobayashi pending a physical. If the price is right, Kobayashi would be a decent pick up, but his recent back issues and age don’t make him that appealing to me.