Dubbed "The Bronze Titan" by Fidel Castro because of his formidable mound exploits in international competition, Cuban pitcher Jose Contreras' once-illustrious career as a starting pitcher -- both in the National Series and in the majors -- may be winding down. But that doesn't mean his time in the game is over.

On Friday, agent Jaime Torres confirmed that Contreras, 38, has begun narrowing his choices on where to pitch next season. One certainty is that Contreras won't be pitching in Japan, where he was rumored to be headed. Torres explained that Contreras has a son who will be studying in Japan, and that Contreras has expressed admiration for the Japan league, but that he doesn't consider it an option at this point in his career.