With free agents like Alex Rodriguez off the market, and trade-bait like Miguel Cabrera already dealt, the hot-stove season feels like it's already cooling down. But, there's still one, potentially huge player out there for some lucky team to sign: Japanese superstar Kosuke Fukudome.

This week, Fukudome is expected to announce that he will not be signing with the Yomiuri Giants, ending weeks of speculation as whether he would remain in Japanese baseball. The former Chunichi Dragons outfielder said awhile ago that if he stayed in Japan it would only be with the Giants, so, his rejection of their offer would mean he is definitely bound for the US.

The question now is, who will get to sign the strong-armed 30-year-old, who hit 192 homers in Japan and has a .305 lifetime average over nine seasons? The favorites at this point are the Cubs, who have plenty of open spots in the outfield after trading Jacque Jones and letting Cliff Floyd go. Chicago would definitely benefit from the defensive up-grade Fukudome would represent over their parade of rightfielders from a year ago. Plus, Fukudome is known as a disciplined hitter, something the free-swinging Cubs sorely need in front of their sluggers Lee, Ramirez and Soriano (who, if Lou Piniella has any sense, will be batting fifth in the order next year instead of lead-off).

The team most often mentioned after the Cubs as a Fukudome suitor is the Padres, who sport a top-notch pitching staff, but were let down by their offense in just missing the post-season last year. Japanese players often express a preference for playing on the West Coast when they come to America, thanks to the large Japanese communities in so many Western cities, and because travel times back home to Japan are much less than if they live on the East Coast - so that would make San Diego a natural fit.

The third team on the Fukudome watch-list is neither on the West Coast nor particularly close to making any kind of post-season run - the Kansas City Royals. The perennially irrelevant small-market Royals have actually been trying to make a splash in free-agency this off-season; they took a run at both Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones before being out-bid by the rich L.A. teams, and now there are reports that Fukudome could be on their radar screen. If you're Fukudome, though, I don't know why in hell you would pick the Royals, a team that's going nowhere.

Other teams popping up in Fukudome discussions include the Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers. Whoever does land Fukudome will have to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 million/year (rumor has the Cubs willing to go as high as $15 million), and sweat the fact that he's coming off an elbow injury that prematurely ended his 2007 season. These might not seem big concerns, however, to a team looking to make a big impression this off-season - especially given how few good options there are right now.