Red Sox Acquire Pitcher in Last-Minute Trade With Rays
By Ryan Bunton
Even with MLB Opening Day set for Thursday and the Boston Red Sox scheduled to face the Seattle Mariners at 10:10 ET, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is still making some eleventh hour moves.
On Wednesday, Boston acquired right-handed pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa from their division rival Tampa Bay Rays.
The Boston Red Sox are acquiring right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa in a trade with Tampa Bay, sources tell ESPN. Uwasawa, 30, had signed a minor league deal with the Rays and wasn’t going to make the team. Boston, looking for pitching, adds the veteran who pitched nine years in Japan.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 27, 2024
Uwasawa was signed by the Tampa Bay Rays to a minor-league deal on Jan. 11 after nine seasons in Japan. In his Nippon Professional Baseball Career, the 30-year-old has compiled a 70-62 record with 3.19 ERA and 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Uwasawa was a three-time NPB All-Star in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
After a poor Grapefruit League showing, Uwasawa was not expected to make Tampa Bay's big league roster. In four Spring Training games, he compiled a troubling 13.03 ERA and 2.38 WHIP in 9.2 innings of work. Obviously, Boston will be hoping that he will be able to give them the upside that he should during his career in Japan.
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