Welcome To America by Jared Carrabis
Sox unveil their latest Japanese pitcher


It’s official, the ink is dry and Junichi Tazawa is the newest addition to the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox have signed the 22-year-old Japanese right-hander to a three-year, $3.3 million contract. In signing his contract with Boston, Tazawa has earned a signing bonus of $1.8 million ($450,000 in 2009, $500,000 in 2010 and $550,000 in 2011).

The Red Sox held a press conference with the media at 3 PM on Thursday to announce his signing to be official. Through a translator, Tazawa proclaimed that one of the main reasons that he chose Boston over all other teams was that the Red Sox were the first team that scouted him back when he was lesser known. Those same scouts believe that the Japanese right-hander will start 2009 with AA Portland. The Red Sox organization are still unsure as to whether he will serve best in the Major Leagues as a starter or as a reliever. The Red Sox hope to unveil what Tazawa’s pitching future will be in Boston as soon as it is indicated by Tazawa himself.

I mentioned earlier that Tazawa had a few reasons why he chose Boston as his destination for a first professional baseball team, in his press conference he went on to describe what his “three main reasons” were that he signed with the Red Sox here in America. Tazawa told the media on Thursday, “There are three main reasons for this, one is the development program which I think is excellent. Another factor is there are Japanese players here as well as Japanese staff and Japanese speakers who are part of the Red Sox organization. And the third reason is that the Red Sox are the first team to scout me.”

“This has been a long and very thorough scouting process”, Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein told reporters. The Red Sox began scouting Junichi Tazawa over a year ago in November of 2007. The Red Sox sent three of their best evaluators to scout Tazawa in over 20 different appearances for the 22-year-old including watching the pitcher on film.

Epstein spoke about the early scouting process in which the Red Sox kept a strong eye on Tazawa, “I believe when they first scouting him he was a relative unknown, even to most Japanese clubs and certainly to most Major League clubs.” Theo Epstein went on to say, “They stayed on him through the course of the year during which time he got better, and better, and better, and gained more prominence.”

Tazawa spoke to the media about his concerns with adjusting to the American culture but later revealed that he had spoke to Daisuke Matsuzaka about what pitching in Boston and in this country was going to be like. He confirmed that the conversation with Matsuzaka “put me at ease.”

While pitching for Nippon Oil, Tazawa compiled a 13-1 record with an ERA of 0.80 in 21 appearances. Of those 21 appearances, eleven of them were starts with ten of them featuring Tazawa pitching out of the bullpen. The right-hander threw 113 innings with a 114/15 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

As I wrote yesterday that the Red Sox were stripped of a first round draft pick when they signed free agent closer, Keith Foulke, this signing of a 22-year-old pitcher with great potential and “prominence” could be a win/win situation for the Red Sox. As suggested by Tony Massarotti, if Boston so chooses to sign a big name free agent that was offered arbitration from their former club like oh say, Mark Teixeira?

The signing of Tazawa for chump change could end up being the equivalent to a first-round draft pick that the Red Sox won’t receive if they sign a big name free agent this winter. You also have to take into consideration that you can’t predict the future and that you never know what you’re going to get out of your draft selection. With no first-round pick in the 2004 draft, I think the Red Sox made out just fine with a Rookie of the Year, Silver Slugger, Gold Glover and MVP all in the same player.

(This article is dedicated to Mr. Gabriel Valerio)

Published on December 04, 2008

---

Tweet