Seattle The length of time recently acquired righty Naoyuki Uwasawa would spend in extended spring training prior to reporting to a Red Sox minor league club team is still unknown, according to manager Alex Cora.
Before Boston’s opening game against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Thursday, manager Alex Cora said, “Just work on a few things and get him ready.”
Uwasawa spent his whole professional career pitching in Japan. Over the course of nine seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, he recorded a 3.19 ERA in 1,118 ⅓ innings. On January 11, he signed a minor league contract with the Rays, despite supposedly having offers from other teams that were guaranteed. In nine and a half innings of spring training, he struck out nine batters despite giving up 14 runs, 15 hits (three home runs), and eight walks.
Cora commented, “Good split.” “I believe we trained against him twice in the spring. He had trouble with the velo and command at first. Other factors also came into play. However, we are fairly at ease with him. Without a doubt, our goal is to increase the number of major league pitchers on the 40-man roster. And we really think he is. It just so happens that he isn’t present.
According to Uwasawa’s Sports Info Solutions scouting report, he can throw a cutter, fastball, splitter, curveball, slider, and changeup. “Uwasawa’s splitter is probably his best secondary and one that he should use more against left-handed batters,” stated Sports Info Solutions. Despite having a.490 OPS versus lefties, he only utilized his splitter as his third most-used pitch, behind his fastball and curve. Perhaps Uwasawa was depending too much on the velocity differential to prevent the hitter from timing his fastball.
He will be more competitive at the bottom of the zone if he uses the splitter more often and uses the fastball less frequently (particularly against left-handed hitters). His money pitches, in terms of keeping the ball on the ground, will be his splitter (53% GB rate) and curveball (57% GB rate).
He was not chosen by the Rays for their 40-man roster. Thus, he activated an assignment provision within his contract, permitting him to go from the Rays organization in the event that a different team agreed to provide him a position on its 40-man roster. Boston was prepared to promise him the position.
The right-hander’s deal with Tampa was arranged by the Red Sox. “If Uwasawa is added to the 40-man roster, his split contract will call for him to make $2.5 million while in the Majors and $225,000 while in the Minors, according to a source,” MLB.com’s Adam Berry wrote in January of Uwasawa’s contract. He has the potential to make up to $3.5 million, with performance bonuses based on Major League innings pitched providing him with an extra $1 million. After working 70 innings for the Rays, he would get $100,000. After that, he would get the same amount for every 10 innings, up to a maximum of $1 million for 160 innings.
