Japan Red Sox

In my 2nd offseason prediction posts I said:

"The Red Sox sign some Japanese reliever that does unreasonably well and makes the Yankees look bad. The success rate for Japanese relievers doing well their first season or so in the majors is way too good not to try this often, the Yankees should get on that boat, while shipping Igawa on another."

I guess the "some Japanese reliever" is Junichi Tazawa who is rumored to be signing with the Red Sox. Tazawa is an amateur Japanese player who decided to try the majors in the U.S. instead of Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan's professional baseball league. Tazawa's fastball reaches 97 mph and had ridiculous numbers albeit in a minor leauge version of Japanese baseball. Okajima, Dice-K, and now Tazawa, the Red Sox are looking to go 3-3 on their imports, even if Matsuzaka isn't an ace you can't say he hasn't been good for the Red Sox, ok fine they're looking to go 2.75/3 what would his (Dice-K) numbers look like on the Royals this year?

Regardless of Matsuzaka's success which I didn't intend to talk about, this is a great move by the Red Sox. The big market teams can always sign huge free agents, but there is no reason they can't spend money on their farm (like the Red Sox have done remarkably well) or invest in these Japanese relievers who do real well at the very least for a little while as relievers. Saito, Otsuka, Okajima, Sasaki, Hasegawa, and there are many others. Some of these guys like Saito were just ok in Japan but are top notch closers in America. Some go by deception that doesn't last forever, but the point is most are successful even if only for a little and I believe Tazawa will be a solid reliever at least for a couple years and probably more.