Red Sox sign Japanese RHP Tazawa

Dec 4, 2008 - 8:05 PM BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox signed Japanese pitcher Junichi Tazawa to a three-year contract on Thursday.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the Boston Globe reported earlier this week that the deal is worth $3 million.

Tazawa had previously rejected offers from the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves, Kyodo News agency reported last week. The 22-year-old Tazawa spent the last three seasons with the Nippon Oil ENEOS of the Japan Industrial League.

Tazawa was 13-1 with five saves and a 0.80 ERA in 21 games, striking out 114 batters and walking just 15 over 113.0 innings pitched. In November, he led the ENEOS to the semifinals of the league's corporate championship.

Tazawa is the third Japanese pitcher join the Red Sox. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima already have enjoyed enormous success with the franchise, and both were integral parts of the club's World Series-winning team in 2007.