The Red Sox are gaining ground on an arrangement with reliever Hirokazu Sawamura, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com (Twitter connect). Whenever finished, it’s required to be a significant association contract, per Cotillo. Sawamura is an unhindered free specialist, so the Sox would not owe any remuneration to his past Nippon Professional Baseball crew, the Chiba Lotte Marines.
The 32-year-old (33 in April) has pitched to a 2.77 ERA with fair strikeout (22.0%) and walk (7.3%) rates in nine seasons at Japan’s most significant level. Sawamura had a troublesome beginning to the 2020 season with the Yomiuri Giants, pitching to a 6.08 ERA while striking out eleven and giving eight strolls in 13.2 innings.
After the Giants exchanged him to the Marines middle of the season, however, Sawamura turned his fortunes around. More than 21 innings for the Marines down the stretch, the right-hander worked to a 1.71 ERA with a vastly improved 29:10 strikeout-to-walk proportion.
A year ago’s initial battles were clearly a warning for some major alliance groups, however Sawamura’s post-exchange bounce back, his history, and MLB-type weapons store have all apparently worked in support of himself as he’s conversed with MLB groups this colder time of year.
Sawamura has a fastball that can arrive at 97 mph, a low-90s splitter that capacities as his essential out pitch, and a slider.
