We will see indeed.. Apparently it's in the cards that Rocco Baldelli will be comming home as our 4th outfielder
I don't want Rocco. The guy can't play a full 9 innings sometimes because of his illness and you don't know day to day when he will be able to play. I'd rather sign Gabe Kapler instead.
Haha sorry man but it's true. The guy could barely stay healthy for a full year before he got sick. To count on him as a 4th OFer (with JD Drew on the team already) is a huge risk. Like I said the Rays never knew if and when Rocco could play and when he did it was no guarantee he'd be able to play a full 9, let alone playing back to back games. Don't forget this is a guy that sometimes can't even take batting or fielding practice and minutes before the game while everyone is getting loose jobbing on the outfield, he's sitting on the bench conserving energy. It's not worth it for the money he's likely to get as some GM will overpay him.
Looks like the Sox have offered 22 year old Junichi Tazawa a contract. Atleast 1 paper is reporting he has already chosen the Red Sox and will sign in early December.
Tazawa throws a fastball (which has peaked at 93 mph), a forkball, curveball, changeup and a slide Tazawa pitched for Japan in the 2007 Baseball World Cup. He was roughed up for 8 hits and 3 runs in 5 innings in a loss to the host Taiwan national team, which finished well behind Japan in the standings. In the semifinals, he tossed two perfect innings of relief in a 5-3 loss to the Cuban national team. Japan finished with a Bronze Medal despite having the lone all-amateur team (outside of Cuba, where the top players do not turn pro). Tazawa struck out 9 in 8 innings in the World Cup overall and was 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA. In 2008, Tazawa led his Nippon Oil team to their first industrial league national title in 13 years, winning four games in the tournament and being named MVP. After this, he wrote to all 12 Nippon Pro Baseball teams, requesting that they not draft him, as he wanted to try his chances in the USA. Tazawa had been projected as a first-round pick. No team selected him in the draft, honoring his wishes. In his final amateur tournament, Tazawa did not allow an earned run in 20 2/3 IP in the national corporate baseball championships. After two straight shutouts, he allowed the losing run (unearned) in the semifinals as Nippon Oil was eliminated. Tazawa's stats this season: 54 IP, 46 hits, 56 K, 4 BB, 6 ER, 1.00 ERA. Not against pro's though.. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxRKY_Xg5tQ[/ame]
I hope the Sox sign that kid. Not only is he 22 but will probably become cheap in the 6 million dollar range. Sounds like its no risk high reward deal.
We'll see what happens. It's pretty obvious it's a two team race. The Orioles and Nationals are in there to raise the stakes.
Sox made a trade with Texas tonight....... they picked up Wes Littleton (what did you think it was for a catcher?). Its for cash and/or 2 player's to be named later and before you ask it won't be any of their top prospects. Interesting move, Littleton has a weird delivery and it seems like the Sox are really stock piling on relievers, makes you wonder if they're working on deal involving Masterson or Delcarmen or maybe they're seriously thinking about putting Masterson in the rotation. Either way I like the move, you never know with relievers one year they're great and the next they suck. I'd rather get them this way and see who sticks than give big money contracts and have them blow up (ala Farnsworth, Linebrink to name a few).
Looks like the Sox signed Tazawa this morning for 3 years 3 million and he can't become a free agent till after 6 years of service. He will start in the minors, it could be a couple of years till we see what we have in this guy. Interesting signing no the less.
Great signing considering his age, years and dollars. Apparently the kid loves Matsuzaka and wanted to pitch with him and even rejected higher offers from other teams. I guess that huge bid on Matsuzaka is really paying off as the Sox FO predicted.
It's not a great signing...it's Grand Theft Auto: Nippon Nights. If he were a draft prospect, Tazawa would have been at worst a 2nd round pick, so to get him for $3M is a tremendous bargain. And if the Matsuzaka signing had anything to do with it, well, so much the better.
Speaking of great signings: Excellent job by the Front Office getting him locked up long-term. Now, time to shift focus towards getting Lester a new long-term deal. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3741730
Wow GREAT job by the Sox front office. And I agree Lester needs to be next and I do think he will sign a long term deal. After that I'd kick the tires on Youk and Papelbon however I have a feeling neither guy will sign a long term deal.
Excellent, this guy has been nothing but productive in 2 years he has racked up a WS Ring, ROY, MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. That's sick, and the guy plays 2nd base.