TOKYO — Junichi Tazawa, a hard-throwing pitcher from Japan, plans to negotiate with major league teams rather than make himself eligible for the Japanese amateur draft.

Tazawa, whose fastball reaches 97 mph, was expected to be the top pick in the draft next month. Several American teams, including the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, scouted Tazawa while he led Nippon Oil to the corporate league championship this season.

"I have a strong desire to test my abilities in America," the 22-year-old right-hander told reporters Thursday.

No rule prevents major league teams from pursuing Japanese amateurs, although current stars such as Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners and Daisuke Matsuzaka of the Red Sox first made names for themselves pitching in Japan.

Players from Japan's professional leagues must wait nine seasons before becoming free agents. Kazuhito Tadano and Mac Suzuki are the only Japanese players to have played in the majors without playing Japanese pro baseball.