Steinbrenner: ‘We’ve talked about’ Japan’s Kikuchi

ATLANTA — At the Yankees’ professional scouting meetings a couple of weeks ago, team officials discussed “dozens and dozens” of free agents as they prepared for this offseason, Hal Steinbrenner said. Among that group, the Yankees’ managing general partner divulged, was someone who isn’t quite a free agent yet: Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.

“I saw film on [him] during the pro scouting meetings,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday at the Major League Baseball owners’ meetings. “We talked about that individual. … We’ve always been paying attention to that area of the world. Some unbelievably great players come out of there. It won’t be any different this year.”

Kikuchi, 27, has pitched well in eight seasons for the Seibu Lions, who are expected to post him shortly for the maxi- mum $20 million. Interested clubs must pay that posting fee to the Lions as well as whatever Kikuchi can garner in the open market. Superagent Scott Boras will represent Kikuchi.

➤ Steinbrenner expressed support for his late father, George Steinbrenner, as the Baseball Hall of Fame considers George’s candidacy for a fourth time. The legendary former Yankees principal owner will have his Coo- perstown fate determined next month by a “Today’s Game Era” committee.

“I believe he deserves to be in,” Hal Steinbrenner said of his dad. “I think a lot of other people do too. I think it’s just a matter of time. There’s politics in everything. I am not completely in tune with what the politics are this particular year, but it may very well happen this year. We’ll see.

“But there are certainly a lot of people, including a lot of writers, that absolutely believe that’s a no-brainer at some point.”