Make of this what you will, but as noticed by commenter eeyore8319 in the thread below, Don Nomura tweeted an interesting message earlier today:
岩隈さん Oakland Athletics!!!!
Translating as: Iwakuma's Oakland Athletics!!!!
Don Nomura is Hisashi Iwakuma's agent, so he'd be as solid a source as anybody on the matter. And though it's curious that we've heard nothing else on the situation since Nomura's tweet six hours ago, it sure sounds like something to go on. He'd have to be one dick of an agent to take to Twitter with an outright lie.
So, we'll see, as we wait for confirmation. But it would seem that perhaps the most interesting improvement possibility is off the table, and could be headed to a division rival. Which is exactly what you want to hear when you're already competing with the pennant-winning Rangers and an Angels team that's supposedly going to sign at least 96 free agents. 2011 is shaping up to be a real treat.