The Crimson Sox have acquired right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa from the Rays, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times had relayed earlier that the righty triggered an task clause and the Rays had been shut to creating a commerce. The Rays will obtain money issues, per Topkin.
Uwasawa, 30, has a protracted monitor document of success in Japan’s Nippon Skilled Baseball however inked a minor league pact with the Rays over the winter. He most not too long ago tossed 170 innings with a 2.96 ERA in NPB, although that sturdy mark was accompanied by a lackluster 17.8% strikeout fee and sub-par velocity. Final September, MLBTR contributor Dai Takegami Podziewski noted that Uwasawa’s fastball velocity was averaging 90.8 mph through the 2023 NPB season. Uwasawa does boast a powerful 7.5% stroll fee, which dropped as little as 5.9% in 2023, however he’s usually seen as a soft-tossing finesse pitcher.
It’s been a troublesome spring for Uwasawa, although the majority of the harm in opposition to him got here in his debut effort with the Rays. The Braves tattooed the right-hander for seven runs on eight hits in simply two innings of labor. Uwasawa has had two sharp outings (one in opposition to the Crimson Sox) and one other tough one (additionally in opposition to Boston) within the weeks since that point. His spring ERA sits at a dismal 13.03, owing largely to that first meltdown of an outing.
For a Crimson Sox membership in want of rotation depth, nonetheless, there’s little hurt in including Uwasawa to the fold — significantly since he’ll solely price them money issues. In elements of 9 NPB seasons, Uwasawa has amassed 1118 1/3 innings of three.19 ERA ball with a 19.7% strikeout fee and seven.5% stroll fee. He’s been significantly efficient in recent times, compiling a 3.08 ERA over his previous six NPB seasons. He made the NPB All-Star workforce in each 2021 and 2023. Uwasawa additionally tossed two shutouts and averaged higher than seven innings per begin through the 2023 season.
The Crimson Sox will open the season with a rotation together with Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Kutter Crawford. They not too long ago signed veteran righty Chase Anderson to an enormous league deal, giving them some extra depth, although he might start the season as a protracted man within the bullpen. There’s loads of expertise within the group but additionally some harm danger and loads of brief MLB monitor information. Boston tried to deal with a few of its rotation deficiency this offseason by signing Lucas Giolito to a two-year contract, however he suffered a UCL tear earlier this spring and can miss all the 2024 season after undergoing an internal brace procedure. Depth starter Chris Murphy, too, will miss the season attributable to his personal UCL surgical procedure.
Uwasawa will be a part of a gaggle of depth choices together with not solely Anderson but additionally lefty Brandon Walter and righty Cooper Criswell. The Crimson Sox nonetheless have much more questions than positive issues on the beginning workers, however Uwasawa will at the very least give them one other wild card choice at a negligible price of acquisition.
