The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers have "heavy interest" in Japanese two-year star Shohei Otani.

According to a report, Brian Cashman is traveling to Japan to get a look at Otani, 23, who many consider the best player not in the Major Leagues. The Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox have also been linked to him.

The Dodgers had eight representatives watching Otani.

Justin Upton has an opt-out clause in his contract at the end of the season, but remains undecided about his future with the Detroit Tigers.

Upton is under contract for four more seasons under the six-year, $132.75 million deal he signed with the Tigers as a free agent two years ago. He has a clause that allows him to opt out of the deal and become a free agent this offseason only.

"I can't make a decision on that right now, so that doesn't affect me right now," Upton said. "It's always nice to have options, but I think it's more interesting to you guys than it is to me. I would feel like I was lying to you guys if I gave you a realistic answer right now, because I haven't really even thought about it.

"I'll get home and spend time with my family and the playoffs will be going on and when it comes around to it, probably a week or two beforehand, at that point I'll start having conversations with my agent and my family. But I can't be more honest with you right now: I'm not worried about it. It's so far away, a couple months."

The Toronto Blue Jays have interest in re-signing Marco Estrada this offseason or even a contract extension before he becomes a free agent.

“The player loves Toronto, the agent says publicly he doesn’t want to go anywhere,” one person within the organization said. “Frankly, we are open to extending him.”

Estrada re-signed with the Jays in 2015 on a two-year, $26 million deal.

“Could I have gotten more years on the open market? Maybe,” Estrada told reporters, including John Lott of the National Post. “But I wanted to come back here. It was the No. 1  team I wanted to come with. Once they made a two-year offer, I wasn’t thinking of going to free agency anymore.”

The Chicago Cubs have claimed Rene Rivera off waivers.

In two seasons with the Mets, Rivera had significant value as a reserve. Rivera became the preferred catcher for Noah Syndergaard.

The Mets have also recently given up Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, Neil Walker, Lucas Duda and Addison Reed.

The Colorado Rockies have signed Ryan Howard to a minor league contract.

Howard signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves in April and was released after one month.

Howard had an OPS of .710 with 25 home runs in 2016 with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Boston Red Sox hold two years of options on Chris Sale's contract for a total of $26 million.

Sale will be the front-runner for the American League Cy Young this season and may receive a lot of MVP votes as well.

The Red Sox gave David Price a seven-year, $217 million contract before the 2016 season, which may prevent Dave Dombrowski from committing big, long-term money to Sale, who will be 30 when he's eligible for free agency.

Dombrowski extended Justin Verlander's deal in a similar fashion with the Detroit Tigers.

Asked whether he will ask Dombrowski to do for Sale what he did for Verlander, agent B.B. Abbott said, "You'll have to ask Dave that."

Jake Arrieta will be a free agent for the first time in his career this winter and the pitcher is confident he'll cash in.

Arrieta, who was the 2015 NL Cy Young, has a 3.88 ERA, 4.11 FIP and 124 strikeouts in 127.2 innings this season.

"I haven't had the year I would like, but it's not over yet," he said. "How many people can do what I do, anyways? A handful of guys?

"But one season shouldn't diminish what the whole package is, and what a guy can do. You can struggle for a little while. It's going to happen. If a guy hits .200 for a while, it doesn't mean he's a .200 hitter.

"Everyone wants to have a career year, but if I stick to what I'm doing, I like my chances. I'll be fine."

Arrieta has a 2.08 ERA since the end of June.