The direction of the Cubs’ 2014 starting rotation could be more defined by the end of the month.

The Cubs should know soon about their chances of pursuing Japanese free agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, as multiple reports indicated that Nippon Professional Baseball was considering a proposal from Major League Baseball that would put a cap on bids for posted players at $20 million.

That would be considerably less than the $51.1 million winning bid the Red Sox submitted for Daisuke Matsuzaka before the 2007 season. Multiple reports added that if several teams submit the maximum bid, then the posted player would have the right to negotiate with those teams, presumably for more lucrative personal terms.

Tanaka, 25, was 24-0 with the Rakuten Golden Eagles, and could command a lucrative long-term deal.

“We’re in the market for impact pitching and we would prefer guys in their prime or going into their prime, guys who you can control (contractually) for a long time,” Cubs President Theo Epstein said Wednesday on CSN’s SportsTalk Live. “If our reports match with the industry perception of the player you’re talking about, then, yeah, we’ll be on him.’’

However, there is the possibility Rakuten could elect not to post Tanaka because of the proposed cap. In recent years, Japanese teams have used funds received from posting money to upgrade their talent and stadiums, an international scout confirmed.

Esptein also expressed cautious optimism that Jeff Samardzija, who is two years away from free agency and has received interest from other teams, will start the season with the Cubs.

“I’m really bullish on his future,” Epstein said. “He can be a difference-making starting pitcher for a long time. Obviously you have to factor in how many years of control you have left, and is there a way to extend that (beyond) medium term (to) long term.

“The single best way to do that is with a contract extension. The second best way to do that is by trading the player for multiple younger impact assets. With Jeff, we’re still of the belief he has the exact makeup we’re looking for. If there is a way to get it done to where he can be a Cub for longer than the next two years, we’re going to pursue that. He wants it. We want it. (But) sometimes those things just don’t work out.”

Extra innings: The Cubs have signed left-handed reliever Wesley Wright to a one-year deal believed to worth $1.425 million. He posted a 3.69 ERA in 70 games for the Astros and Rays in 2013. … Todd Hollandsworth and Ron Coomer have emerged as the top candidates for the WGN-AM 720 analyst job and a decision could be made in a few days. … The Yankees hired Steve Wilson, who served as the Pacific Rim and Mexico scouting coordinator for the Cubs before being let go at the end of the season.

mgonzales@tribune.com

Twitter @MDGonzales