Junichi Tazawa

Marlins Designate Nefi Ogando, Announce Junichi Tazawa Signing

By Jeff Todd | December 16, 2016 at 4:22pm CDT

The Marlins have designated righty Nefi Ogando for assignment, per a club announcement. His departure from the 40-man creates space for the addition of fellow right-hander Junichi Tazawa, whose signing was reported yesterday.

Ogando, 27, allowed just four earned runs on ten hits in his 15 2/3 major league innings in 2016. And he showed a mid-nineties fastball. But he recorded only eight strikeouts with eight walks in that stretch, reflecting longstanding questions.

Ogando has had effective seasons in the minors, but has never flashed all that much functional strikeout ability and has never managed to tamp down the free passes. Ultimately, there’s enough to like about his live arm that another organization will surely have interest in attempting to harness it — if the Marlins don’t retain him — but it’s not difficult to see why the Fish were willing to cut bait to make way for Tazawa.

Marlins To Sign Junichi Tazawa

By Jeff Todd | December 15, 2016 at 6:31pm CDT

The Marlins have agreed to a two-year deal with free-agent righty Junichi Tazawa, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). He’ll earn $12MM in the contract, per Rosenthal, with $5MM in the first year and $7MM coming in the second, according to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter).

[RELATED: Updated Marlins Depth Chart]

Tazawa, 30, has long carried strong strikeout-and-walk numbers, with a lifetime 8.9 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9, though he induces grounders on less than two of every five balls put in play against him. From 2012 through 2014, that steady backdrop allowed Tazawa to carry an excellent 2.62 ERA over 175 1/3 innings.

While the K/BB figures remained about the same over the ensuing two seasons, however, Tazawa has fallen off in the results department. Since the start of 2015, he has allowed 4.15 earned runs per nine. The main culprit in 2015, perhaps, was an elevated .349 batting average on balls in play against him. While that fell back to earth (.292) in 2016, Tazawa showed a new susceptibility to the long ball, allowing 1.63 homers per nine.

The Marlins could have a relative bargain on their hands if Tazawa’s earned-run dip is more fluke than fact. He was mostly dinged up last year in a six-appearance stretch in August, but finished strong and otherwise was much the same pitcher as usual. His average fastball velocity in 2016 (92.8 mph) was down slightly against prior years, but not drastically so (he had ranged between 92.2 and 93.9 over the prior four seasons). And Tazawa’s 13.0% swinging-strike rate was the second-best mark of his career.

Having missed on top-dollar closer Kenley Jansen, Miami will instead plug Tazawa — and, potentially, another as-yet-undetermined new acquisition — into the set-up corps. A solid unit is taking shape in front of presumptive closer A.J. Ramos, with Tazawa joining returning righties David Phelps and Kyle Barraclough, each of whom was excellent in 2016.

Of course, that’s not quite the potential super-pen that has been hypothesized as the Fish seemingly moved off of the idea of dealing for a high-quality starter, but there may be more yet to come from president of baseball operations Michael Hill and his staff. Having watched as former southpaw reliever Mike Dunn landed with the Rockies earlier today, it’s possible to imagine the Marlins turning their sights to the remaining market for lefty relievers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bullpen Notes: Nationals, Miller, Marlins

By Mark Polishuk | December 11, 2016 at 7:06pm CDT

Some items on the always-busy relief pitching market…

The Nationals explored acquiring Andrew Miller at last July’s trade deadline, though balked at the idea of moving Lucas Giolito and other prospects for the ace reliever, ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian recently noted (as cited by ESPN.com’s Buster Olney in his latest subscriber-only column). Trading for Miller would’ve solved Washington’s search for a long-term closer, and the Nats ended up moving Giolito anyway at the Winter Meetings to obtain Adam Eaton “in a market saturated with outfield options.” This decision presents an interesting what-if for Nats fans, though the answer could simply come down to the fact that the Nationals no longer valued Giolito as highly. “Their view of Giolito obviously changed completely. Whatever it was, they were working to move him,” an evaluator tells Olney.
Speaking of Miller, this offseason’s skyrocketing relief prices have made the Indians lefty a bargain for the team, Zack Meisel of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. Miller is owed $9MM in each of the next two seasons, a fraction of what he would earn if he was on the open market this winter.
Brad Ziegler and Neftali Feliz have been mentioned as potential Marlins backup plans if they can’t sign Kenley Jansen, and MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro also adds Fernando Salas and Junichi Tazawa to the team’s list of possible candidates. Overall, the Fish would be looking to add relievers with closing experience, though A.J. Ramos would likely remain Miami’s closer.

AL East Notes: Osuna, Tazawa, Porcello, Yankees

By Steve Adams | October 5, 2016 at 11:49pm CDT

Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna gave Toronto fans a scare on Tuesday when he exited the team’s Wild Card game with the trainer, but the 21-year-old told reporters today that he expects to be ready to go for the ALDS on Friday (Twitter link via Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi). Osuna explained that he felt a “stretch” in his shoulder at the time, but doctors informed that there’s no major issue and that he simply needs a couple days of rest. Osuna followed up a dominant rookie campaign with a remarkably similar sophomore effort, posting a 2.68 ERA with 10.0 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9 to go along with 36 saves in 74 innings of work.

Injury Notes: Buxton, Holt, Kimbrel, Tazawa, Phillips, Davis, Cameron

By Jeff Todd | July 8, 2016 at 10:44pm CDT

Young Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was diagnosed with a contusion to his right knee after a scary collision with the wall. That could just be a preliminary diagnosis, though, and MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger noted on Twitter that Buxton required a cart and appeared to have difficulty putting pressure on the leg.

We’ll wait to learn more about Buxton’s situation, along with a host of others that arose on an ugly night for injuries around the game:

Red Sox infielder/outfielder Brock Holt has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 ankle sprain after an awkward slide, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. Holt will require a walking boot, but that is the least concerning grade of the injury. While the prognosis doesn’t sound too serious, and the All-Star break will allow some added rest, it’s another tough blow to a team that just went out to plug some leaks by adding Aaron Hill and Michael Martinez via trade. Holt had been expected to hold down left field, so Boston will need to fill another gap for at least the near-term.
Additionally, Red Sox relievers Craig Kimbrel and Junichi Tazawa were deemed unavailable for tonight’s action due to varying maladies, as Jason Mastrodonato and Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald were among those to report (Twitter links). Kimbrel came down with a sore knee before the game and has had an MRI, with results expected tomorrow, per Speier (via Twitter). Tazawa, meanwhile, is experiencing shoulder soreness of unknown seriousness. An MRI has not yet been ordered in his case. Any absence from either pitcher would certainly increase Boston’s desire to add to its pen, though it’s not yet known whether either situation is cause for much concern.
Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips is playing through a hairline fracture in his hand, Zack Buchanan of Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Twitter. For now, at least, it’s just a question whether he can deal with the pain, though even a low-lying issue could throw a wrench into any trade possibilities. (Phillips’ no-trade clause still appears to be the biggest barrier to a deal.)
Though the alarm bells went off when Royals closer Wade Davis hit the DL with a forearm strain, he tells Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com (Twitter link) that he’s progressing well. Davis says he was able to throw without experiencing pain, and that the inflammation has already dissipated. That’s all very promising news for Kansas City, needless to say.
Intriguing young Astros prospect Daz Cameron will miss the rest of the season after breaking a finger in his left hand, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle reports on Twitter. It’s been a bit of a trying year for the touted 19-year-old, who wasn’t performing at Class A Quad Cities and ended up suffering the injury in extended spring training action. He’ll miss some development time, but the injury shouldn’t pose any significant long-term issues.

AL Notes: Astros, Alburquerque, ERod, Tazawa, Castro

By Jeff Todd | March 10, 2016 at 11:00pm CDT

Astros GM Jeff Luhnow addressed a variety of issues today with Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle. He suggested that the club’s first base mix may not be fully resolved this spring, with the organization remaining open to making changes over the course of the season. He made clear that Houston won’t just be relying on metrics in reaching its decisions, but is paying close attention to how the various contenders look against advanced competition this spring.

Meanwhile, Luhnow said, the Astros’ back-of-the-rotation competition may result in some bullpen time for one of Doug Fister, Scott Feldman, or Mike Fiers. But he emphasized that he expects “all three guys are going to end up making a lot of starts for us this year.”
The Angels are hoping that reliever Al Alburquerque will be able to bounce back after a tough 2015, and improved health is one reason for optimism, as MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports. Albuquerque says that he was hobbled for all of the spring and much of the regular season last year after contracting the Chikungunya virus over the winter. His fastball velocity steadily increased over the course of the year, and Albuquerque says he feels “much better” in camp.
The Red Sox now seem all but certain to go without young lefty Eduardo Rodriguez to open the year, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. Though the swelling is down in his right knee, Rodriguez still hasn’t returned to the bump and manager John Farrell says there’s “still no time frame or date to get him on the mound yet.” With the club obviously exercising caution, and a full ramp-up still needed, it would appear to be surprising if he’s able to join the 25-man roster on Opening Day.
In other Red Sox pitching news, Boston is hoping that the decision to shut down reliever Junichi Tazawa late last year will help him regain his form in 2015, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal writes. Generally a highly reliable pen arm, Tazawa seemingly hit a wall late last year. Now, pitching coach Carl Willis says he sees improved “late action to his pitches,” cleaner mechanics, and better location. The 29-year-old’s ability to bounce back will not only be important to the club, but will also determine his market standing when he qualifies for free agency after the season.
Reversing its prior stance, the Yankees don’t intend to prepare Starlin Castro to spend any further time at third base this spring, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. He’ll instead focus on settling in at second base and preparing to serve as the reserve shortstop, says manager Joe Girardi. As King notes, that could open up some additional opportunity for Rob Refsnyder to make the team as a utility piece.

Red Sox, Junichi Tazawa Avoid Arbitration

By Steve Adams | January 20, 2016 at 7:47pm CDT

While the majority of the 156 players that filed for salary arbitration last week have agreed to terms with their teams, either on a one-year deal for 2016 or on an extension, the cases of 30 players remain unresolved. You can track the status of each case using MLBTR’s 2016 Arbitration Tracker, and we’ll keep track of all of today’s smaller deals to avoid arbitration in this post (all referenced projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)…

The Red Sox and right-hander Junichi Tazawa have avoided arbitration by coming to terms on a one-year, $3.375MM contract, tweets Jon Heyman. Tazawa, whose salary lines up nearly perfectly with Swartz’s $3.3MM projection, had filed for a$4.15MM salary, while the team countered at $2.7MM. His eventual salary falls just $25K shy of the midpoint between those two sums. Tazawa, who will be a free agent next winter, will join right-handers Carson Smith and Koji Uehara in setting up for newly acquired closer Craig Kimbrel. The Japanese righty struggled a bit in 2015 due to an abnormally low strand rate, but he’s been largely excellent since signing with the Red Sox back in 2008. Since establishing himself as a key piece of the Boston ’pen back in 2012, Tazawa has a 3.00 ERA with 9.1 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9 in 234 innings of relief.

Dombrowski On Rotation, Bullpen, Craig, Payroll, Hanley, Outfield

By Steve Adams | October 13, 2015 at 5:09pm CDT

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski addressed the Boston media today and discussed a number of offseason-related topics. Some highlights from the session (all links to Twitter unless otherwise indicated)…

The team’s top priority this winter is finding a front-line starter, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets. He adds that Dombrowski said the team needs to find a “horse” to front the rotation. The Herald’s Scott Lauber tweets that Dombrowski said sorting out the back of the rotation won’t be the difficult part of the team’s offseason pitching puzzle, with Dombrowski citing quality depth.
The Red Sox view Junichi Tazawa as a setup option, and while Koji Uehara is the current ninth-inning option, the team will look for additional closing options, tweets Mastrodonato.
Trading Allen Craig would be an “ideal” scenario, Dombrowski said (via the Providence Journal’s Tim Britton), but the president recognized that it’ll be difficult to find a taker for the first baseman/corner outfielder/DH. Craig is owed $21MM through the 2017 season (including the buyout on his 2018 club option).
Boston’s payroll will not go backwards in 2016, Dombrowski said (via Mastrodonato). As Mastrodonato points out, the team is shedding the contracts of Shane Victorino, Justin Masterson, Mike Napoli and others, giving the Sox a good deal of payroll flexibility this winter.
The Sox are still firmly committed to Hanley Ramirez playing first base in 2016, said Dombrowski (via MLB.com’s Ian Browne). Ramirez is owed $66MM over the next three seasons, and while the Sox will undoubtedly be open to moving him this winter, that would be a difficult task. Via Mastrodonato, Dombrowski said Travis Shaw and Sam Travis are both still valuable depth pieces at first base.
Regarding the outfield, Mastrodonato tweets that Dombrowski implied that the starters will be Jackie Bradley, Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo, although Britton adds that Dombrowski seemed to express more confidence in Bradley than Castillo. The Sox will be looking for bench options for the outfield, Mastrodonato adds. I’d imagine that Brock Holt will see some time out there, although that certainly doesn’t rule out further additions, of course.
John Tomase of WEEI.com has a full-length post recapping some comments from Dombrowski and GM Mike Hazen, including the announcement of some front office promotions. Eddie Romero has been promoted to VP of international scouting, and replay coordinator Adrian Lorenzo will step up to the position of international scouting director.

East Notes: Williams, Cespedes, Boxberger, Kelly, Tazawa

By Jeff Todd | September 16, 2015 at 8:50am CDT

Star Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper provided a ringing endorsement for embattled skipper Matt Williams, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports. “Truly, I love him as a manager,” said Harper. “Flat out I absolutely do. If I didn’t, everybody would know.” Player sentiment only goes so far, of course, but the comments do seem particularly meaningful with Harper set to finish off a compelling, breakout season as one of the lone bright spots on a disappointing team.

Here’s more from the eastern divisions:

While there was a report yesterday that the Braves could have interest in Yoenis Cespedes as a free agent, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears (Twitter link) that the team has no such intentions. As I noted at the time, that match seemed curious on paper not because Cespedes wouldn’t be an appealing target for the team — he would — but because his price tag seems likely to move quickly into a range that the Braves would not find palatable.
Rays closer Brad Boxberger says that his recent struggles may be the result of inconsistent usage earlier in the year, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Another strong campaign from Boxberger, 27, has started to trend downward in recent weeks, and he said that could be due to “all of the early use in non-closing situations.” While Boxberger says he does not want to place blame on the team’s lack of a designated closer role — which he has filled, de facto, for much of the year — he obviously seemed to suggest that as a possibility. Boxberger will still be a season away from reaching arbitration eligibility after this year, though his saves tally this year will set him up for a big payday thereafter — if he can remain healthy and effective.
Red Sox righty Joe Kelly has flipped the narrative on his season, but as Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com reports, he may have thrown his last pitch of 2015. While that decision has yet to be made, the 26-year-old exited his outing last night with shoulder tightness — obviously not an area that the team will want to take any chances at the tail end of a lost season. Kelly’s solid late-year results have surely given nsew president of baseball operations plenty to think about in planning next seasons rotation.
Another Red Sox right-hander, reliever Junichi Tazawa, has already been declared shut down for the rest of the year, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports. The move is not related to any injury, says interim manager Torey Lovullo. Instead, Boston wants to avoid too much stress on the 29-year-old’s arm after he topped sixty frames in each of the last two years. The steady Tazawa has faded down the stretch this year after a typically strong first half. He’ll enter his final year of arbitration in the offseason.

Relief Market Notes: Astros Working Hard, Twins, Lowe

By Jeff Todd and Steve Adams | July 31, 2015 at 5:08am CDT

The Astros are “pushing hard” to find an upgrade in the bullpen and have several irons in the fire, according to Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Given the players under consideration, it looks like Houston is aiming high. We just heard of talks with the Padres that may include Craig Kimbrel, and Bowden says they’ve also discussed Joaquin Benoit. As Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle tweeted earlier, the Rays have spoken with the Astros about pen arms, though he adds nothing seems likely there, and Bowden lists Brad Boxberger and Jake McGee as names that have come up. And Houston has even made inquiries on outstanding Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, he adds.

Here’s more on the relief market, which should be among the most active areas of discussion leading up to tomorrow’s deadline.

Though the Twins are in the market for relief help, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via Twitter) that they’re not interested in either Junichi Tazawa or Craig Breslow of the Red Sox. Berardino hears that the Twins are turned off by Tazawa’s five-plus years of service (he’ll be a free agent after 2016) and Breslow’s impending free agency.
Mariners right-hander Mark Lowe is drawing quite a bit of interest, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link). The journeyman reliever is in the midst of a breakout season, having pitched to an incredible 1.00 ERA with 11.8 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 36.5 percent ground-ball rate in 36 innings this season. Lowe’s average fastball velocity of 95 mph is his best since 2011, and because he took a minor league deal in an attempt to revitalize his career (so far, so good), any team could afford him from a financial standpoint.

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