Junichi Tazawa
November 4, 2008 by Mike
The Sox still appear to be the front-runner for Junichi Tazawa, the 22-year-old amateur right-hander who has been scouted by the Sox for a couple of years. But word today was that both the Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners held meetings with him in Japan yesterday. Theo Epstein would not comment on Boston’s interest, but it appears the Sox are still the front runners to land him. Tazawa throws 95 mph and played for the Nippon Oil team of the Industrial League…
The Sox have been the most aggressive team with regard to Tazawa, who is also being courted by the Atlanta Braves, Florida Marlins and Chicago Cubs, among others. Tazawa throws a mid-90s fastball, a 12-6 overhand curveball and a split-finger fastball as part of his repertoire.
A source with knowledge of Tazawa’s plans hinted that he might be searching for a major league contract. The Sox do have a history of occasionally granting such deals to amateur players (reliever Craig Hanson, 2005). It’s unclear whether the Sox would consider such a perk for Tazawa, or even whether they believe he’s ready to pitch at the major league level.
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