The Detroit Tigers have engaged in preliminary talks with Chris Tillman.

Detroit is in need of a fifth starter.

Tillman is coming off the least productive season of his career, but from 2013-16 he averaged 32 starts and 190 innings per season with a 3.91 ERA.

The Texas Rangers are confident about their chances to sign Shohei Ohtani this winter.

The club responded to Ohtani's agent and his request for more information from clubs interested in signing the two-way Japanese star.

"I feel very strongly about what we have to offer," Jon Daniels said.

Agent Nez Balelo sent the memo to all Major League teams before Thanksgiving, asking them to outline their evaluation of Ohtani as a player as well as their Minor League development and scouting philosophy, training and medical staff, Spring Training facilities and how the player will be able to assimilate into the team and the community.

Shohei Ohtani may not be the only Japanese pitcher that comes over to Major League Baseball this offseason.

Kazuhisa Makita, 33, will also be made available via the posting system.

Makita recently converted from starter to reliever. He threw 62 2/3 innings with a 2.30 ERA and a 35/5 K/BB this past season for the Saitama Seibu Lions.

The market for Yu Darvish is taking shape with the winter meetings less than two weeks away.

There are six teams legitimately "in" on Darvish and there are "another handful that are staying close," according to a report.

The Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals have been linked to Darvish.

The Seattle Mariners have brought back Hisashi Iwakuma on a Minor League deal with an invitation to Spring Training.

Iwakuma, 36, made only six starts this season before going down with a shoulder injury.

He underwent shoulder debridement surgery in September and is expected to resume throwing in March, meaning he is unlikely to be in the Opening Day rotation.

The New York Mets are looking for a veteran to help sort out first base and are considering Adam Lind, according to a report.

Lind hit .303/.362/.513 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs in 301 plate appearances for the Washington Nationals in 2017.

The Mets aren't completely committed to left-handed prospect Dominic Smith at first base following his underwhelming performance in his first taste of the majors.

Now that Shohei Ohtani is on his way to Major League Baseball, the Seattle Mariners are expected to make a strong play to sign him.

In a new team sponsored podcast, Jerry Dipoto discussed the Japanese star.

"We have spent most of the past year preparing for this moment. Whether it's written presentations, something aesthetic for him to touch and feel ... we've put together a film on the merits of Seattle and the Mariners. And we're hopeful at some point we get to sit down in the same room," Dipoto said.

"The history of the Japanese player in Seattle has been so celebrated and some of the greatest players in our franchise's history have been from Japan. There is an attraction there. There has to be, for a player who is as respectful of those who came before him as Shohei Ohtani appears to be. 

"That is a positive in our favor, especially since all those players have been willing to assist us in the recruiting process, among others. We're not joking around. We're bringing the big guns. We're bringing the 'A' game. When we sit down, we'll be sitting down with very notable faces and that is a part of what we want to sell.

"We want to sell the Seattle experience and what it means to the Japanese-Americans, our culture and how this organization has trended so positively when we have the star Japanese player. And make no mistake, this is a star Japanese player. He's gifted. He's going to make some team a lot better."

Jayson Werth isn't in the Washington Nationals' plans for next season "barring an unexpected development," according to a report.

There have been rumors that Werth could return to the club on a one-year deal, something Mike Rizzo wouldn't rule out in a recent interview.

Werth played in just 70 games last season, hitting .226/.322/.393 with 10 home runs and 69 strikeouts.

Jake Arrieta is drawing interest from the Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies, according to a report.

The Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers have also been linked to the right-hander.

Arrieta, 31, 14-10 with a 3.53 ERA in 30 starts for the Chicago Cubs last season. He had 163 strikeouts in 168 1/3 innings.

Free-agent right-handed pitcher Doug Fister has agreed to a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers, a source told ESPN on Sunday, confirming multiple reports.

The $4 million deal includes a club option for 2019 and was first reported by NBC Sports Boston.