Major League Baseball has reportedly requested Japanese League powerhouse Rakuten Golden Eagles not to make any side deal involving ace pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, the Los Angeles Times reported on Monday.

For the sake of transparency, the MLB front office wants a fair and square bidding for the rights of one of the most intriguing pitchers in the international market.

"The letter, sent by MLB to the Rakuten Golden Eagles via the Nippon Professional Baseball office, follows a Los Angeles Times report Friday that MLB intended to ensure Rakuten got no more than the allowable $20 million for making Tanaka available to MLB clubs," via Los Angeles Times.

Two years ago, the Texas Rangers paid $51.7 million for the rights to All-Star hurler Yu Darvish. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, the new bidding system prevented Japanese ballclub to receive not more than $20 million.

"Rakuten might have gotten three times more money from making Tanaka available under the old posting system, in which MLB teams bid to acquire exclusive negotiating rights from Japanese clubs. In 2011, the Texas Rangers paid $51.7 million for the rights to pitcher Yu Darvish," the L.A Times