Tazawa Promoted
As Ryo posted on Twitter yesterday, the Red Sox have called Junichi Tazawa up to the MLB team. He promptly took the loss in Boston’s 15-inning defeat to the Yankees, giving up a walk-off homer to Alex Rodriguez.
Boston used three Japanese pitchers in the game — Tazawa, Hideki Okajima and Takashi Saito; and another, Ramon Ramirez, who has NPB experience.
I’ve written about Tazawa extensively on this site, including this early scouting report-ish post, a deeper analysis of reasonable expectations for him, and an interview with Portland sports writer Kevin Thomas on his progress.
08/08/2009 at 12:37 pm Permalink
It looks like MLB draft pick, Tanner Scheppers, is trying to use NPB as a bait to get MLB teams to take him seriously. His agent is setting up a audition which has at least a dozen NPB teams there. Also from what the article says there were NPB scouts that have seen him before when he played for the St.Paul Saints(Brian Buchanan I’m thinking who played with Softbank a few years back). Your thoughts?
08/08/2009 at 2:19 pm Permalink
There are exactly one dozen NPB teams.
08/08/2009 at 5:11 pm Permalink
There are exactly one dozen NPB teams
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. That if true would be every team in NPB.
09/08/2009 at 5:56 pm Permalink
My thoughts are that the best way for an MLB player to make a lot of money is to perform well and get to salary arbitration quickly. If that’s what Scheppers is after, he’d likely be better off taking the Rangers’ offer.
09/08/2009 at 8:13 pm Permalink
Yeah, if its that, he will definetly play in MLB. Though my belief is that his agent is only using this as a negotiation ploy for more money.
Though it was a interesting what if he went to play in NPB after rejecting to sign with the Rangers and go to NPB, where if I recall correctly he be counted as a foriegn player and doesn’t abide by the same free agency rules that Japanese-born NPB players have to. To sum up what I’m saying it be interesting if he did a Cecil Fielder(who signed a 2 year contract IIRC) like contract(which IIRC allowed him to opt-out) to go to MLB. Only reason I brought it up is if Scheppers did go to NPB, how would MLB recognize him as? A free agent? Or subject to the draft?
09/08/2009 at 8:46 pm Permalink
Also, WEEI says Tazawa will start for the Red Sox on Tuesday.