More Sox moving down
The Red Sox made another significant round of cuts this morning, sending down four players, including Junichi Tazawa and Michael Bowden. Tazawa, who, as expected, will start the year in Double-A Portland, had a sterling camp with the Red Sox. Bowden never quite settled into a rhythm, and he’ll start this season where he ended last year, in Triple-A Pawtucket.
The full list:
Junichi Tazawa (optioned to Double A Portland)
Michael Bowden (optioned to Triple A Pawtucket)
Billy Traber (reassigned to minor league complex)
Marcus McBeth (reassigned to minor complex)
The Red Sox were not expecting the world from Tazawa, only 22 and going through his first experiences in a new country and a new level of baseball, having arrived from Japan’s Industrial League. He surpassed the team’s most optimistic hopes, allowing one run in nine innings. “Lights out,” manager Terry Francona said.
Tazawa walked one and struck out 10. He threw his curveball with precision and got batters to swing and miss. His 1.1-second delivery to the plate from the stretch is the fastest among all Red Sox pitchers. “You’ve got to get a bunch of hits to score off him,” Francona said. “You can't steal on him, and he doesn’t walk anybody.” The only thing he needs now is more experience, particularly with his wind-up delivery.
“He’s one of the most impressive things this entire camp,” pitching coach John Farrell said last week. “Not just from his physical abilities and the way he’s gone out there, but the way he’s handled himself in and around the entire spring training – the early bullpens, and really in early BP, when he was facing hitters in our lineup. He doesn’t back away from any challenges. He doesn’t become tentative. I think his natural confidence in his own ability has been very impressive.”
Bowden had a 7.59 ERA in 10 2/3 innings, not delivering on the promise he showed in his one big league start last season. Francona, though, said Bowden is the kind of pitcher whose delivery causes him to rev up slowly. He suspects Bowden will likely never produce great results in spring because his wind-up includes several moving parts.
“It’s not that fluid,” Francona said. “But he competes. I think he’s the guy that you send to his season, and he gets on that roll, and then you see what you have. You don’t evaluate too much on maybe what you didn’t see here.”
The Red Sox are down to 44 players in their major league camp, still a large number for this time of spring.
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Tazawa and Bowden at least have return tickets,If I were Traber I think I might just ask the Sox if I could be a player coach for the PawSox,McBeth Alas poor Youric!!!
"“You steal on him"
I assume you meant you DON'T steal on him, with a delivery that fast.
wow, taz could be quite a pickup for the sox at such little risk, nice move
Type your comment here...If it took "THE NATURAL" 16 years to make it to the "bigs"Tazawa, by the Boston's brass's time table will have him ready by 2020.
Their time table will be an antique.
Haven't seen Taz pitch, yet. 1BB; 10 K's- sounds beastly!
Saw Taz pitch yesterday, in Jupiter, even after a 2 1/2 hour rain delay, he looked very sharp for the (2) innings that he pitched, he should have a bright future with the Sox.
"The only thing he needs now is more experience, particularly with his wind-up delivery." I'm curious why he (or any pitcher) really needs to be effective out of the wind-up. Why can't he pitch out of the stretch, even when there are no baserunners?
The sox build players not just spend $$$ on every free agent like the Yanks.....The Yankees may have been great in the past but they are stuck in the past.
This years standings as I see it at the end of the season..
1. Red Sox
2.Rays
3.Yankees (miss playoffs LOL)
Blue Jays.
Michael Bowden and Juni Tazawa could be back this season, as the rotation and pen are ground down in the fierce AL East. It will be interesting to see if the Sea Dogs use Tazawa in the rotation or pen. He was a starter in Japan. After this ST, I can't see him staying too long in AA; and having Bowden right behind Smoltz & Buchholz; and Jones & Bard ready for prime time in the Pen, with this depth, Sportzbozo may be prophetic. I wonder where MacBeth & Traber will find a home.
Tazawa is already more polished than Kei Igawa
Another slick over signing by the Yankees
Giraud, I would say that if both Taz and Bowden blaze through the minors and rock the house, there is a chance that they could be called up come Sept. 1. However, I also read elsewhere that it's (paradoxically) the type of situation the top brass wish to avoid, because by calling up guys who are not yet ready for the majors could very well mean that the team has more injuries than it can deal with and the season could be toast. (Because that's when you get the September call-ups to audition for next year.)
simoncan - There are relievers who pitch exclusively from the stretch, and a few starters (in the past). Generally, if a pitcher needs work on pitching from the wind up, it is to generate more power.
Giraud - This MAY also be a clue to grooming him to start, rather than come from the pen. Looked awfully good in relief, though...
Taz WILL be the 5th sterter soon!
He is capable of being a starter that's why he needs to pitch out of wind up
Taz = The Tazmanian Devil !!!!
More to come soon.
I'm a Japanese, and yet, a Sox fan since Matsuzaka became a Sox player. Last year, all the Japanese professional baseball teams were desparately hoping to have Tazawa in their teams. When he proclaimed his wish to play in MLB, and actually became a member of the Sox, I was very excited, indeed. He has a great potentiality. He's still young, only 22, though. To begin with, he has to adapt himself to MLB. I hope the Sox will bring him up to be a player good enough to be a reliable starter in a couple of years.
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