Junichi Tazawa

Tazawa struggled in a major way last season, putting up a 5.69 ERA in 55.1 innings and falling below replacement level (according to fWAR) for the first time since his rookie season back in 2009. His 9.2 percent walk rate was the worst of his career and marked the first time he fell below average in that statistic. His 16 percent strikeout rate was well below average and was by far his worst mark since his rookie season. Combine that with a poor groundball rate (35.6 percent), and things do not look promising for the 31-year-old reliever; declining skills for a player on the wrong side of 30 is never a good sign. Tazawa turned in four straight seasons with a FIP under 3.25 from 2012-15, but that's a long time ago in Major League Baseball. If he remains with the Marlins in 2018, Tazawa is likely to serve as part of the bridge to the ninth inning.

After spending the better part of a decade with Red Sox's organization, Tazawa became a free agent following an up-and-down 2016 season. The 30-year-old veteran finished the year with a 4.17 ERA and 4.23 FIP in 42.1 innings. On the bright side, Tazawa was able to increase his strikeout production in 2016, as his K/9 climbed from 8.6 in 2015 to 9.7 in 2016. However, his susceptibility to giving up home runs spiked as well, which was evidenced by a 1.6 HR/9, his highest since 2011. Now entering his thirties, Tazawa is unlikely to develop into anything more than what he has shown with Boston the past few years, but the Marlins inked him to a two-year deal to shore up their bridge to the ninth inning during the offseason.

Tazawa was once again a very dependable setup man in Boston’s bullpen, the third season he’s performed in that role, until some late-season fatigue forced the Red Sox to shut him down in September. It was the second time in three seasons he’s experienced a drop off in August/September – Tazawa righted himself in 2013 in time for the postseason, but the Red Sox weren’t taking chances with him in 2015 when there was little to play for. Tazawa downplayed the performance, insisting he was merely missing location of his fastball, but he’s pitched a lot since 2013, making the 10th most relief appearances in the major leagues since then. The Red Sox can afford to spare Tazara some in 2016 with Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith added in the offseason, both of whom will be ahead of Tazawa in the relief hierarchy.

Tazawa had a second consecutive strong season as a setup man for Boston in 2014, posting a 2.86 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 63 innings over 71 games. Outside of a couple of July outings, he was pretty consistent from April to September and maintained a strikeout per inning rate. His walk rate bumped up a little, but it was nothing too concerning. From the outside looking in, it seems like he'd be a closer candidate, but his strength is right where he's at now -- the eighth-inning bridge to the closer, whether that be Koji Uehara or Edward Mujica. If he's able to cut back on the free passes and return to his 2012-2013 levels, Tazawa should have little difficulty pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA for the third time in four seasons.

After sneakily emerging as an effective reliever for Boston in 2012, Tazawa claimed a setup role for the team in 2013 and did not disappoint. He made a career-high 71 appearances (plus 13 more in the postseason) and struck out 72 batters while walking 12 in 68.1 innings. Toward the end of the season, the workload had its impact, but he righted himself for the postseason and still managed to get big outs. Tazawa is a strike-thrower who will turn 28 during the 2014 season, so he could still become a closer in future seasons. He will continue on as a setup man in 2014 however, but he might not be needed for as many appearances as Boston's bullpen figures to be deeper.

Tazawa was a nice story for Boston in a miserable season. He struck out 45 batters and walked five in 44 relief innings and was near unhittable in September. The control he showed in Boston is a new development and may not be lasting, but his increased velocity has made him a top candidate as Boston's setup man in 2013. With Andrew Bailey, if healthy, slated to be Boston's closer in 2013, the team will be looking to address its needs in 2014 and Tazawa is being looked at for the role beyond this season.

Tazawa made his return from Tommy John surgery in 2011, predictably having some initial trouble with command and reduced velocity on his fastball. Slowly, it all started to come back for Tazawa, who was mostly pitching out of the bullpen by the end of the season. He's going to open spring training working as a reliever, and will most likely be assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket to start the regular season. Just continuing to work his way back from the surgery is all that's expected in 2012, but he could find himself in the mix for a spot in Boston if he progresses in the first half of the season.

Tazawa emerged on the scene when Boston tabbed him to make a handful of starts in 2009, however, he required Tommy John surgery in April 2010. The usual caveats apply for pitchers after elbow surgery. We'll see him pitching sometime during spring training, but there is obviously no plan to have him in Boston for 2011. Expect some tempered pitch- and innings-limits on him to start. The main goal is to get the elbow strong again. He had a nice array of secondary pitches prior to the injury, with his fastball needing the most improvement.

Tazawa's handful of starts in the major leagues last year gave us an indication of the organization's confidence in the 23-year-old, though it's unlikely he's part of the rotation in 2010. He came to the States with an 88-92 mph and an advanced array of off-speed pitches, but it was unclear how effective he'd be coming from the Japanese industrial leagues. As it turns out, Tazawa was pretty good at Double-A Portland, using the off-speed stuff to keep hitters off balance while spotting his fastball inside. If anything, Tazawa could make the team as a long reliever and spot starter, though it's more likely he begins the season at Triple-A Pawtucket, where he can work on getting more movement on his fastball.

Tazawa, who pitched in Japan's industrial leagues (roughly analogous to independent ball in the States), was expected to be the top pick in Japan's amateur draft this winter. However, he wasn't drafted after he made it known he wanted to play in the U.S. and signed a three-year contract with the Red Sox. He will likely start his career in the minors. He's not the finished product that Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima were when they arrived in Boston and is not clear whether the Red Sox project Tazawa as a starter or reliever, but they obviously like his upside.