Junichi Tazawa

2013

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2012

Tazawa made his return from Tommy John surgery in 2011, predictably having some initial trouble with command and reduced velocity on his fastball. Slowly, it all started to come back for Tazawa, who was mostly pitching out of the bullpen by the end of the season. He's going to open spring training working as a reliever, and will most likely be assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket to start the regular season. Just continuing to work his way back from the surgery is all that's expected in 2012, but he could find himself in the mix for a spot in Boston if he progresses in the first half of the season.

2011

Tazawa emerged on the scene when Boston tabbed him to make a handful of starts in 2009, however, he required Tommy John surgery in April 2010. The usual caveats apply for pitchers after elbow surgery. We'll see him pitching sometime during spring training, but there is obviously no plan to have him in Boston for 2011. Expect some tempered pitch- and innings-limits on him to start. The main goal is to get the elbow strong again. He had a nice array of secondary pitches prior to the injury, with his fastball needing the most improvement.

2010

Tazawa's handful of starts in the major leagues last year gave us an indication of the organization's confidence in the 23-year-old, though it's unlikely he's part of the rotation in 2010. He came to the States with an 88-92 mph and an advanced array of off-speed pitches, but it was unclear how effective he'd be coming from the Japanese industrial leagues. As it turns out, Tazawa was pretty good at Double-A Portland, using the off-speed stuff to keep hitters off balance while spotting his fastball inside. If anything, Tazawa could make the team as a long reliever and spot starter, though it's more likely he begins the season at Triple-A Pawtucket, where he can work on getting more movement on his fastball.

2009

Tazawa, who pitched in Japan's industrial leagues (roughly analogous to independent ball in the States), was expected to be the top pick in Japan's amateur draft this winter. However, he wasn't drafted after he made it known he wanted to play in the U.S. and signed a three-year contract with the Red Sox. He will likely start his career in the minors. He's not the finished product that Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima were when they arrived in Boston and is not clear whether the Red Sox project Tazawa as a starter or reliever, but they obviously like his upside.