The Red Sox announced that they have signed Japanese right-hander Shunsuke Watanabe to a minor league contract. Boston also disclosed that they have released the contract of right-hander Chris Carpenter to the Yakult Swallows of the Nippon Professional Baseball league in exchange for cash.
Watanabe, 37, is a sidearmer who boasts one of the lowest deliveries in professional baseball. While his pitches top out around 70 MPH, his tricky delivery has frustrated hitters across 13 seasons with the NPB's Chiba Lotte Marines. For his career in Japan, Watanabe has posted a 3.65 ERA with 4.8 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9.
Carpenter, who came over in the Theo Epstein compensation deal with the Cubs along with fellow right-hander Aaron Kurcz, saw eight big league games with Boston in 2012 and spent the bulk of 2013 with the club's Triple-A affiliate.
Does Watanabe’s deal include invite?
It does not
Hope the Cubs get Carpenter back lol
Alas, the Theo Epstein era is officially over in BOS. Live long and prosper, the other Chris Carpenter. May your sushi be fresh.
I topped out at 66 at the fair a couple years back. This gives me hope.
You’re clearly not a Sox fan. Or else you’d remember those days of being left in a game giving up 12 runs over 5 innings so that the rest of the staff could get a rest. Those days ruin ERAs and WHIPs. Or the fact that mid-season he was able to go from starter to closer due to injury, in a flash. Other pitchers can’t/won’t do those things. Thats not your average pitcher. You can’t quantify those things and in fact, they hurt his stats making him look more ordinary than he is.
BTW, no idea what those W/L numbers you posted are above (TH 16-9 3.44)? Huh? I just gave you the section of the totals that his name appears next to, to show he’s not keeping “average” company.