Junichi Tazawa to wear Red Sox?

November 30, 3:27 AMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Nothing's official just yet, but Japanese amateur pitcher Junichi Tazawa has all but made up his mind about which major-league team he'll be playing for. With offers on the table from four different MLB teams, Tazawa rejected three of them, leaving the Boston Red Sox as the last suitor standing.

According to an AP story Saturday, Tazawa contacted the Braves, Mariners, and Rangers to decline their contracts. He'll call a press conference next week to announce his decision, but the only team not named in the report is the Boston Red Sox, the fourth team linked to Tazawa in recent reports.

Tazawa ignited an international firestorm in September when he announced he'd forego the Japanese amateur baseball draft, becoming the first player since Mac Suzuki to make such a move, and by far the highest profile player to do so. Koji Uehara nearly signed with the Angels in 1999, but wasn't guaranteed a big-league roster spot, and so he declined the deal. (Interesting, he's one of several NPB pitchers expected to play in the major leagues next season).

Tazawa was reportedly offered such a spot by the Braves, but it clearly wasn't enough for him. Boston's recent track record of success, along with countrymen Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima, are clearly enticements for Tazawa. Boston reportedly offered Tazawa $3M, less than the Rangers offered, so money was not Tazawa's motivation, either.

Scouts are divided on Tazawa's promise—he reportedly features a fastball in the low 90s, though some have pegged it lower, and is below the six-foot threshold that major league teams these days want to see. He's got a few other pitches, including a splitter and curve and is just 22, so there's time to learn for him yet. While reports may differ on his skills, everyone agrees that he's unlikely to make the majors in his first season, and probably not his second, either.

He's got at least that long to make it, since one of the effects of his announcement in September was a rule instituted by the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball, the Japanese equivalent of MLB). Amateurs like Tazawa who bypass the draft cannot return to NPB for three years. Before this, professional players in Japan had to serve with their teams for nine years before filing for free agency, or until their teams posted him for sale to MLB teams, as happened with Daisuke Matsuzaka.

This means Tazawa has three years to make it to the mound and pitch alongside Dice-K before he can creep back to NPB, if he can't make it here.

Boston fans are hoping that he'll never have to test that rule at all—but they'll have to wait for his official announcement next week to know his plans for sure.